Just Too Late
by mirrorshine
Summary: Tifa had it all perfect, she and Cloud were together, until one night and it has quite possibly thrown everything out of the window. Will she be able to keep it secret, or will she lose everything she loves and struggle to regain it? COMPLETE
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: **I'm setting this after AC, shall we say about three months something like that. I hope you all like this and I'd love to hear what you think!!

* * *

Tifa lay quietly in the warmth of her bed, staring blankly up at the ceiling while she twisted a strand of hair round her finger. The sun shone brightly through the window and broke through the light curtains; she turned her head to the side slightly and stared at said window still twisting a long strand of dark hair round her finger.

She allowed a smile to tug at her lips and she turned her head into her pillow expecting to see a mess of blond hair on her pillow, except nothing was there; only the evidence that on that side of the bed the sheets had been made up. Tifa sighed loudly and looked round her room for any other evidence that the blond warrior had been in her room all night.

Nothing had happened, only the two had slept in the same bed together and nothing exceeded that point. The barmaid didn't want to rush the young man into anything, as she was still afraid he might leave at any point, she decided to let him choose when he wanted to _'advance to the next level'_. She was still pretty sure no one else knew about their new relationship, she'd seen the blond had been careful not to give anything away to the two kids that lived with them and it only brought a smile to her face, knowing that Barret's young adopted daughter Marlene wasn't buying any of the young man's lies.

Tifa threw the sheets off of herself and allowed her feet to slip into the light blue slippers she'd left at the side. After giving her room a final glance over she saw no sign that the blond had been in her room that night and she sighed, slightly annoyed by the blonde's constant disappearances. She was beginning not being able to bare their 'secret' relationship under her own roof, and saw no harm in telling her friends that herself and Cloud were very much 'involved' but to an extent. Sometimes, she wondered if this was actually happening, as very often he wouldn't get home until late from some delivery and like this occasion he would rise much earlier than anyone else in the house and leave. It felt like sometimes she didn't have a relationship and only had one at night time. Sometimes as much as she hated to admit it, it felt like he didn't even live here.

She crossed her room and threw open her curtains and stared down at where his bike should be and wasn't surprised when it wasn't there. Tifa frowned again and folded her arms across her chest while she carried on staring out of the window. She bit her lip while she stood deep in thought, deciding she'd have to talk with Cloud when he got home that night and make sure he understood.

The door behind her creaked open and Tifa turned round and smiled at the little girl who stood there who'd poked her head round the door in obvious hope to catch the two adults together. "Morning." She finally cried, walking into the room after seeing no sign of the oldest male in Tifa's room. "Where's Cloud?" She asked suddenly, holding her hands behind her back while smiling up at the brunette.

Tifa smirked slightly, knowing Marlene was far too curious in this matter for her age. "Is he not downstairs?" Tifa mumbled, a smirk still playing on her face. Marlene shook her head quickly and continued to stare up at her motherly figure. "Well, his bike isn't outside, so he must have gone working." Tifa said solemnly, allowing the realization to hit her from her own words.

"I thought he wasn't going to run away anymore?" Marlene asked, pushing herself up onto Tifa's bed and hugging onto one of the cushions that had been placed on the floor. Tifa turned back round from the window and stared at the little girl, remembering the conversation she and Cloud had had. Which had not been long after he'd defeated Sephiroth once again. "He'd said he's stay with us, like a real family." Tifa looked away from the young girl again, annoyed that she had listened in on her private conversation with Cloud but thankful that she'd managed to almost remember Cloud's every words.

"I know sweetie, but Cloud still has to work." Tifa replied, trying to convince herself while she spoke.

"Why can't he work here with you?" Marlene asked quickly, staring at the cushion's pattern and tracing it with her finger. Tifa thought an answer through her head and knew deep down Cloud would never want to just work in the bar, it just wasn't Cloud.

"I think he likes driving and making deliveries." Tifa answered, gazing back at the spot where his monstrosity of a bike should be.

"Doesn't he like you more?" She heard Marlene say in a playful singsong voice. Tifa turned to her and frowned slightly only to make the girl realise she shouldn't ask any more questions. But deep down in her heart she knew the little girl was right.

"Come on let's make breakfast." Tifa said quickly ushering the little girl out of her room and down the stairs into the time-being quiet and empty bar.

* * *

Tifa served her umpteenth customer that evening and barely noticed the tired looking blond walk in. She gave him a smile only to receive a small upturn of the corners of his lips making it look more like a grimace rather than a smile. The young man disappeared into the back room and Tifa glanced round her bar, checking she wasn't needed at the current moment before following the blond. She quietly closed the glass panel door behind her and pulled the small curtain across it which she'd put up to try and give herself a little privacy from her customers.

Cloud had collapsed on the sofa at the back of the room and pushed his boots off and allowed them to drop down onto the wooden floor with a thud. "Hard day?" She asked walking towards him.

"You wouldn't believe." He muttered quietly, leaning back into the cushioned sofa and sighed a sigh of relief. "There were monsters on nearly every single road." He mumbled again, his eyes closed and his hand ran through his spiky blond hair that bounced back into place.

She smiled meekly at him and found herself unable to remain quiet anymore. "Cloud?" She began, slowly lowering herself down onto the coffee table behind her and rested her elbows on her knees. She watched the blonde's eyelids flicker open to show his amazing mako glowing azure eyes. He hummed once in reply and straightened himself up in his seat. "I think we need to talk." She added looking up at him and seeing the puzzling gaze in his eyes. She opened her mouth to speak only to find she didn't have to right words in her head. "I don't like, how you don't want to tell anyone about our relationship yet." She said slowly holding her head down and rested her hands in her lap. She watched his gloved hands reached forward and entwine with hers.

"If it's really hurting you, then okay, we can tell everyone." He said quietly, looking into her face but not able to see her eyes from her dark bangs.

"It's not just that." Tifa spluttered out, surprised with herself that she'd even said that. She watched Cloud's hands leave hers and he heaved himself up to the edge of his seat. "You leave early in the morning, before I even wake up and then sometimes you come home when I'm already asleep so I never see you." She paused and looked up into his eyes and saw the slight hint of annoyance in them and was beginning to find it harder to read him. "You said you were going to stay with us."

"I am staying with you, I just, have to work, you know I do." He said quickly as soon as she finished, making Tifa wonder if he knew this was coming. "Don't make me say it Tifa.". She knew what he meant, when he asked her not to 'make him say it'. If it wasn't for Cloud's business she'd have nothing and the Seventh Heaven would have closed down long ago.

"But, I'd rather have you here with me and struggle along, instead of you disappearing early in the morning and coming home late." She whispered reaching out herself this time and grabbing his hands. "Don't you understand?"

"Of course I understand, but." He paused himself and looked down into Tifa's delicate hands which he knew could knock a man unconscious. "I love going out and making these deliveries." He muttered feeling slightly childish at his words.

Tifa threw his hands out of hers and she jumped to her feet his last words burning her to the core. "It's all about _you_ in this relationship!" She screamed, taking Cloud aback as he stared up at her from his seat. "Haven't you realised? It's just about you, you don't want to go out together, you don't want to tell anyone we're together, not even the kids, you won't even have a relationship in the bedroom and now you won't give up this one thing for me, so we can start a proper family!" She shouted and looked down at the blond whose cheeks had blushed slightly. "I've given up a lot for you Cloud, I've been here for you all along to help you get rid of your demons and it felt like you didn't want me at all. I've given you your space; I've let you choose how this relationship goes and now I'm bored of it, I've had enough."

"So have I." Cloud snapped getting to his feet, standing taller than the woman besides him. She laughed sarcastically and turned round and glared at him.

"How is it possible for you to _have enough _you've not been through as much as I have!" She cried and saw the pained look on his face, as if she'd just stabbed him through his heart. She wished for the words she'd just said to disappear as if she'd never used them after realising what she'd said.

"You think you've been through more than me?" Cloud cried jabbing his thumb into his chest while he glared at her. "You think my life has been perfect compared to yours?" Tifa looked down at her feet, never remembering Cloud being angry and was glad she couldn't. "Well, I'm sorry if I've made your life as bad as mine!" She looked back up not realising Cloud had put his boots back on. He pushed past her and threw open the door, the glass threateningly shaking in the wood, Tifa raced after him noticing her customers had fallen deadly silent.

"That's it, just run away. That's all you've ever been good at!" She screamed as she watched him mount his bike and disappear.

She steadied her breathing and turned round and saw the faces of her customers staring at her. She looked back at each of them and they all returned to their drinks. "I'm very sorry." Tifa mumbled out getting small nods of forgiveness from her customers and she made her way back to behind the bar and sat down on a stool, holding her hands in her lap.

"Don't worry about it." Tifa looked up and her eyes were met with a handsome looking man who smiled at her. "It happens to everyone." He smiled again, which made his eyes crinkle at the corners.

"Thank you." She said back, not remembering when she served him. She watched him take a sip from his drink and she noticed his expensive looking suit and his shoulder length dark hair that had been cut to perfection. She turned her head sharply back round when his dark eyes had met hers.

"Kenji, Kenji Sawyer." He said with a sophisticated smile as he held out his hand. Tifa reached for his hand and held on tightly as he shook it firmly.

"Tifa Lockheart." She smiled and he returned it.

"So, need someone to talk too?"

* * *

So, what do we think?? Do we think it works??

I get bored of reading just happy, happy CloudxTifa stories, I'm not saying I'm not a CloudxTifa fan but I like to think it isn't pretty perfect. If you know what I mean, because well FFVII isn't much of a fairy tale.. so what do you think, Clifa fans please don't burn me!!


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: **Firstly a huge thank you to **Federaldragon****, ****bkbabe**and**Black-Valentine-1992** for reviewing on my first chapter and I would have gotten back to you all except my broadband broke and I haven't been able to get on t'internet. Has anyone else had this problem, 'cause like five of my friends have had this problem too...

Anyways, so I've had this ready for a while and I don't think this chapter is as good but it's like the 'calm before the storm'... haha.. so it isn't going to be a 'wow cloud and Tifa love each other so much..' so please don't lose faith in me yet!!

* * *

The sun shone brightly through the curtains once again and Tifa found herself staring at the ceiling once more, her fingers playing with the ends of her hair, trying to ignore her pounding headache and sickness. A smile was graced on her face though, as she could still feel the warmth from the man besides her.

She rolled to the side and wrapped her arms round him and held him tight. "Thank you for staying Cloud." She whispered, burying her head into his back. She heard a grunt of reply and the man twisted round in her arms.

"Cloud?" The word echoed in her head and the voice was far deeper than his. "You could at least call me by my proper name." Tifa eyes opened up and she let go of the dark haired man and stared at him.

"What are you doing?!" She cried as she became more aware of her current nudity and wrapped the sheets round herself. She slid off the bed still clinging onto the sheets and she glared at Kenji, as she slowly remembered his name.

"You were the one that invited me up here." He said with a smirk, as he rolled on his side showing off his well toned body.

"I wouldn't dare!" She cried again and she glanced round the room and raced forward to the bundle of Kenji's clothing and threw them at him. "Get out of here; I don't want to see you again!" She glared at him through her dark orbs and the man solemnly did as she asked.

"So, was I just something you used to get over your chocobo head of a boyfriend?!" Kenji muttered glancing up at Tifa through dark eyes. The barmaid looked at him, expecting him to be angry only to see a pang of sadness in them instead.

"You took advantage of me." Tifa snarled, and suddenly felt a pang of guilt for Cloud and she wondered if he was just down the hall and had to witness his childhood friend drunk and throw herself at the closest man. "Please, can you just leave, before he gets back?" Tifa said slowly and got a grunt of a reply.

"Don't worry; your secret is safe with me." Kenji muttered smiling at the brunette, she watched him shrug his shirt on and then his hand dived into his jacket pocket. He pulled out a small card and held it out to Tifa. "If you need someone to talk too, you know. I'm not asking you out or anything." He added with a smile.

Tifa frowned at the card that was held out to her and she looked at it with disgust as if the thing would bite her hand off if she reached out for it. She listened to Kenji sigh and was about to put it back in his pocket before she reached forward and snatched it out of his hand. "Thanks, Kenji." She said quietly.

The dark haired man smiled and gave her a small nod. "Like I said, you're secret is safe with me." Tifa couldn't help but smile in return to his own intoxicating toothy grin. Kenji folded his suit jacket over his arm and reached for Tifa's door, before she reached forward and opened it for him she briefly looked down the corridor and allowed him to pass and he laughed heartily as she did so.

Still clinging onto the bed sheets she watched him make his way downstairs and unlock the front door, making her wonder if he had locked it last night for her. He turned once and gave her a small wave before disappearing.

Tifa sighed loudly and pushed her bangs out of her face. She turned and looked to the kids' door and wondered if they saw anything. She caught her breath before she let out a sob and made her way back to her room.

She dropped down onto her bed and whimpered slightly, she gazed round her room and felt the guilt well up inside of her as she saw various photos of herself and her friends and Cloud. Tifa slowly got to her feet once more and slipped on her blue slippers that had been delicately put at the side along with her neatly folded clothes, which she knew she hadn't done. She thanked herself silently, for somehow choosing a man who was willing to keep everything a secret, not that what she had done was a good thing at all.

After slowly dressing and wondering what she should say to Cloud, the door behind her opened and she was faced with the two kids staring up at her. "Are you okay Tifa?" Denzel asked quietly seeing her red eyes.

"I'm fine thanks Denz." She said quickly with a smile which the two children returned half heartedly.

"Is Cloud coming back?" Marlene voiced, holding her hands behind her back as she looked up at the barmaid.

Tifa smiled and glanced round the room. "I don't know." She said whilst she smiled, unable to lie to the two children. "I'm not sure."

"Who was the man who was with you last night?" Denzel asked as he looked round to see if the man was still here, as he was sure he stayed all night but then again he could have left not long after they went to bed.

Tifa stared at the two kids, her thoughts running wildly as she came up with an excuse that she prayed the two kids and Cloud as she was sure they would tell him would believe. "A friend, from a long time ago." She watched a smile light up on Marlene's face and she mentally sighed thankful the little girl accepted this.

"Well, I'm going to make pancakes, and then Cloud will want to come back!" Marlene cried as she turned on her heel and ran downstairs with Denzel following her. Tifa managed a smile as she watched after them and heard their footsteps suddenly fall silent from the slam of a door.

Tifa walked quickly to the staircase and looked down to the bar, seeing the blond young man staring back at her. "Cloud." She whispered quietly and she quickly walked down the stairs two at a time until she eventually reached him and wrapped her arms round his neck and squeezed him into a hug. "I'm so sorry." She whispered into his chest and shut her eyes tight. She felt his arms rise up and fall onto her back and hold her into the hug.

"I'm sorry too, you're right about everything Tifa." He mumbled and he let go of her and pushed her back while still holding onto her shoulders. "I should be here, helping you and the kids, not driving to endless places." He muttered, with a small smile as he looked down into her eyes. He turned his head and looked to the two children who stared up at them, he stared back long enough for them to understand and they ran into the adjoining room and shut the door behind him.

Tifa gazed up into his face and smirked at the leaf in his spiky hair. She reached up and pulled it out with a laugh while she could smell the strong scent of flowers, pushing the question of 'where did you go last night?' to the back of her mind, seeing it was already answered. "I want to make this work Tifa." He mumbled again, dropping his arms back down to his sides. "But if you don't think..."

"No, no, I want to make this work too Cloud, I was tired yesterday, that's all." She said with a smile as she held her hands behind her back before pushing her hair out of her face.

"I'm sorry, for running out on you." He added once more, whilst staring down at the floor again.

"Stop apologising!" Tifa cried while punching him playfully in his arm. "Marlene's making breakfast." The brunette smiled up at the blond and caught his hand and pulled him towards the kitchen.

Cloud dropped down into the wooden seat besides Denzel at the matching wooden table. He lifted his hands onto the table and pulled off his leather glove and rubbed at his callused hands and picked at the dry skin. "What did you do last night?" Denzel asked suddenly, staring at Cloud's hands like they were a piece of art while he chewed on the corner of a slice of bread.

"Nothing much." Cloud mumbled back, dropping his hands back down on the table looking from his black bruised nail to Tifa and Marlene who were both cooking breakfast and then to the small boy at his side. "Why what did you do?" He asked as politely as he could remembering Tifa telling him once to encourage Denzel to speak more, but he was sure it was the other way around.

"Me and Denzel played upstairs." Marlene answered, making the boy besides him blush bring a smile onto Cloud's face. "And Tifa talked to her friend." Cloud frowned slightly and turned to Tifa who had her back to him and had stopped dead.

"Who dropped by?" Cloud asked, wondering if it was Barret and he might get an aggressive call from the man telling him to get back to the bar and Tifa.

"You don't know him." Tifa said quickly plating up one of the pancakes and handing it to Denzel.

"Why, was he a childhood friend from Nibelheim?" Cloud asked sharply taking the plate of Marlene but still looking up at Tifa's back.

Tifa frowned, sensing the annoyance in Cloud's voice. It wasn't that he was over protective or anything, she just knew he'd be angry if it was one of Tifa's childhood friends from Nibelheim seeing he wasn't that popular back in their earlier days. "No, just a friend I made a long time ago in Midgar, before everything happened." She said, sighing mentally for her excuse but hating the amount of lying she had done so far that day.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: **Another lot of special thanks to **Federaldragon****, ****bkbabe****, ****Chicocharcoal****, ****sportiegrl****, ****Black-Valentine-1992****, ****Alyde****, **and **Lord Trixs** for either reviewing, alerting or adding to their favourites or even both!!

* * *

Cloud frowned slightly and moved his eyes from the paper work left on his desk. He listened carefully knowing he'd heard something that caught his attention, but could no longer hear it. He sighed quietly to himself and stared back at the various invoices and what deliveries the Seventh Heaven will be needing.

He'd given up the 'Strife delivery service' and worked with Tifa at the bar, but he had to admit Tifa had decided he took care of the financial side of everything. He dropped the papers back down again and listened carefully once more. He pushed the seat out from underneath him and slowly stood up, raking his fingers through his mess of bed hair.

The blond opened the door quietly, still aware that it was early in the morning and the only reason that he was awake was because he couldn't sleep. His eyes narrowed in the darkness seeing the bathroom light was on still, he pushed open the door and his eyes were met with Tifa's own dark eyes. "You should go to the doctors, Teef." He muttered whilst he leaned against the door frame. He wrinkled his nose as the young woman wretched into the toilet and he glanced round nervously. "Go back to bed." He said quickly, unfolding his arms and bringing the brunette to her feet. "And I'll get you something."

Tifa quietly obeyed the young man and sluggishly walked back into her room. She slid back into her bed and shivered against the now cold sheets, she'd been ill for the last few mornings and something was eating her up inside. _You're not pregnant Tifa. _She thought to herself, hearing Cloud's footsteps coming back up the stairs. _It wouldn't hurt to check though? _She thought again as the blond walked in once more his mako eyes full of concern as he walked towards her. _Maybe you should ask Cloud to go get you a test? _She thought again, taking the small white pill out of Cloud's hand gratefully along with the glass of water. _What do you think he'd say, you haven't even done anything with him to get yourself pregnant! _She gulped down the water and handed Cloud the glass back.

"I'll close the bar for today Tifa, we can handle one day." He smiled once more, glancing her over before making her way towards the door.

"But we need the Gil!" She cried quickly before he left. He turned and faced her, his azure eyes still boring into her face.

"I'm the one handling the finances, so I should know if we can close for a day." He muttered with a smile before closing the door.

Tifa watched him leave and smiled softly. _What if I am pregnant? _She asked herself, waiting for the voice in the back of her head to answer, but none came. _Would he be angry, then he'll know that I've slept with someone else! _She glanced round the room nervously. It had been nearly five weeks to the day that she woke to find herself sharing her bed with not Cloud but Kenji Sawyer and although she didn't want to admit it she had missed her 'monthly' but at the time thought nothing of it. _Cloud will be okay with it, I'm sure he will. _

* * *

She opened the door to her bar and glanced round, she saw the blond sitting quietly staring at the various papers that he'd brought down from his room and thrown across the bar top. He looked over his shoulder quickly and she smiled back. "I feel fine." Tifa said quickly, and she dug into her pocket and brought out the pack of pills Cloud had said to get. "And for just in case." She added shaking them at him.

The blond nodded and returned to staring at the papers and occasionally writing something down. Tifa guessed Cloud had most likely banished the two kids from coming downstairs until he was finished with all the paperwork and didn't want to be disturbed.

She lowered the bag down onto the floor and paced upstairs and quickly locked herself into the bathroom. Not long after she was sitting quietly on the toilet seat with the pregnancy test by the sink, while she waited two minutes like it instructed.

She chewed on her bottom lip while she waited and dug at the dirt that was under her nail. She glanced at her watch and sighed, realising only a minute had passed.

The brunette sighed loudly and dropped her hands down into her lap, she jumped when she heard a knock on the door and heard Marlene's voice. "Tifa, you've been in there ages!" The brunette smiled, actually so far she'd only been in the bathroom for approximately three and a half minutes and still had another minute to go.

"I won't be long Marlene, sorry." She cried back, hearing a small whimper from the little girl and watched as her shadow from underneath the door disappear.

Tifa gazed back at her watch and dropped her arm back down to her side. Half a minute to go. Her dark eyes flickered to the white stick at the side and she straightened up, still only seeing one line there.

She reached for the directions again and read them quickly, praying that there would only be one line on the test after the two minutes.

Tifa laid the sheet of paper down and stared at the white stick warily. Now that it had been the full two minutes she wasn't sure if she could bring herself to look at the test.

She reached once again and picked it up off the white sink and brought it close to her, still not being able to allow one eye to look down at it.

Her dark eyes flickered to it for a moment and moved away, feeling her world beginning to crumble all around her.

She was pregnant.

And it wasn't Cloud's.

It was Kenji's.

She stared nervously at the door, as if Cloud would run in at any moment and throttle her for lying to him.

She'd _lied_ to him. She'd _lied _to the kids.

She caught her breath before she let out a sob and stared back down at the test in her hands, and stared at the two lines and wished for one of them to disappear.

How can Cloud trust her anymore? She'd lied to him knowingly; she'd cheated on him in less than twelve hours after he'd left. She was going to have someone else's child, that she barely knew and Cloud didn't even know.

She could feel everything that she loved in her life leaving her. She knew Cloud will be heartbroken too, that everything in his life he has lost and now this.

Marlene's knock on the door brought her back to reality and she stared at the wood and slowly stood up and gathered the test and its box and sheet together and stuffed it in her pocket.

She opened the door quickly and Marlene ran inside and hastily locked the door behind her motherly figure. The brunette glanced round and saw that the blond young man was still downstairs. Tifa turned to her room and shut the door behind her, once again she could feel the guilt inside of her welling up and she stared round her room.

She threw the test onto the floor and glared at it, feeling her tears appear in the corner of her eyes. She sat down on her bed and held her hands in her lap, she turned and the phone that sat on the side caught her eye, she slowly picked it up and listened to the low drum of her heartbeat. Throwing open her draw she rummaged round and pulled out the white piece of card that she had hastily hidden. The card was in pristine condition and she flipped it over and red Kenji's name and then his number. She dialled it quickly and listened to it ring and heard him answer.

She poured everything she had to say to the man she barely knew, whilst in-between sobs and she could hear him humming in reply to everything she said.

"_Well, you have to tell him Tifa." _Was Kenji's first reply, and Tifa knew it was coming but didn't want to hear it. _"Because, I don't think he's going to think you're just gaining a lot of weight." _He laughed quickly and Tifa couldn't help but laugh in reply. _"Don't you think he'd be more hurt that he'd have to find this out by himself rather than you telling him?" _

"You're right." Tifa whispered and wiped the tears away from her face. "I have to tell him, I'm just afraid what he might say."

"_Do you want me to come over?" _Kenji asked slowly.

"No, you better not." Tifa mumbled, knowing Cloud might actually throw the man through the window if he showed up to say he's the father. She heard Kenji laugh and she thought she better not say Cloud has the same strength as a First Class Soldier and will easily slice him into pieces.

"_Listen Tifa, if things don't work out, you know I'll be there for you, don't you?" _Tifa sat quietly unsure if she should answer.

"I'm going to go tell him, and I'll ring you back and tell you what he says." She put the phone down and placed it on her bed. Gathering her courage she stood up and walked towards the floor casting a glance to the test on the floor before opening the door and making her way downstairs.

The blond young man was still sitting quietly, staring at the various papers and rummaging around for something else. She could feel her feet beginning to betray her as she willed them to move but they remained in the same place. Her fingers wrapped round the banister and she forced herself down the steps before eventually stopping a few meters away from him.

He looked up at her quickly and gave a small smile before turning back to the papers. "Cloud." She whispered, locking her fingers with her own and once again digging away the invisible dirt from under her nails. She heard a hum of a reply and looked up once more, to see she wasn't getting his full attention. "I have to talk to you." She mumbled and he still didn't turn his head from whatever he was writing on.

"Okay." He murmured back. Tifa sighed and rolled her eyes before reaching forward and snatching the pen out of his hands and clutching them in her own. The blond turned and glared up at her and then relaxed seeing the almost pained look on her face. "What's wrong Tifa?"

The brunette sat down on a stool a few seats away from him and glanced at the pen in her hands. "I don't know what to say Cloud, I." She paused and looked once more into his azure eyes hoping he would say something but instead he just watched her. "Cloud, I'm pregnant." She murmured, watching the concern in his eyes disappear and be replaced by confusion.

"You're pregnant?" He mumbled, before laughing making Tifa slowly look up at him knowing he rarely found anything funny. "Right, look I need to get on with this Tifa." He smiled signalling to the papers on the bar top.

Tifa frowned at him and clutched the pen harder and allowing her nails to dig into her skin. "You think I'm joking, don't you?" She asked, knowing it was a stupid question.

"Well, Teef we haven't done...anything..." She watched as the penny finally dropped in his mind, as he suddenly realised Tifa had cheated on him. "When?" He asked quickly, shifting his weight on the stool, feeling his anger boiling up inside of him.

"About five weeks back, when we had that argument." She whispered, looking down at the floor unable to hold his gaze.

There was a long awkward silence before one of them spoke. "It was that friend of yours wasn't it?" Cloud asked, resting his arm on the marble surface while he watched his childhood friend squirm under his scrutiny.

"He wasn't a friend." Tifa found herself whispering.

"What, you didn't even know him?" Cloud cried, still trying to hold his anger back. He watched her nod quietly. "And only that day you were telling me that our relationship is just about me, and you never do anything wrong?!" Tifa glanced up at him, unable to tell if there were tears glimmering in his eyes or it was the mako glow. "And then when I came home, you lied to me and to the kids, you wouldn't even tell me then. You wouldn't have even told me now would you if you weren't pregnant?" He waited for an answer and got none and found himself unable to look at Tifa anymore.

He turned and stormed up the stairs hearing Tifa following him. "I'm sorry Cloud, I really am!" She pleaded as she followed him up the stairs.

"I came back to you, because I wanted to make this work!" He turned and stared at her in the face, biting his lip to stop a single tear from escaping his eye. "You made me believe that I was vain and 

didn't care about you or the kids, and now you do this." He twisted back around as he saw the two kids appear from behind the door and watch their two parental figures argue.

Tifa watched helplessly as the blond rummaged round his room, throwing open the closet door and grab a black duffle bag and stuffing what clothes he had into it. "Please Cloud?" Tifa muttered, allowing her tears to begin to stream her face. He tied the back quickly and then reached for a simple black hooded pullover and pulled it over his chest and then swung the bag over his shoulder.

"I have to go." He said quickly, running his fingers through his hair. "I can't stay here anymore." He pushed past the young woman and ignored the two children and jumped down the stairs and made his way to the door.

"Please don't run away Cloud, we can work this out." She cried as she ran down the stairs after him and stopped at the bar.

Cloud threw open the door and turned to her. "You have to work this out, I'm not the one who cheated on you and lied to the one I loved." He paused for a moment and licked his lips before looking at her once more. "I've had enough of this Tifa, what we have isn't a relationship, and it never will be." He walked outside and slammed the door violently leaving all the photo's to shake threateningly. Tifa stood speechless as she listened to the roar of Fenrir's engine and heard the questioning footsteps of the two children behind her come down the stairs as they watched the young blond man drive and disappear from their home.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: **Wow more reviews!! Another load of special thanks to, **MustangBaby87****, ****GossipGirlxoXo****, ****typical****, ****elebelly****, ****Federaldragon**and**Black-Valentine-1992**for all being kind enough to review my last chapter, you guys are awesome :D!!

Roll on next chapter!!

_**Flashback**_

**Present**

* * *

The silence was slashed apart by one of the children's laughter from upstairs, it echoed down into the quiet bar and a few customers would cast glances up the stairs to see who had created the noise, before slowly returning to their drinks.

Kenji Sawyer sat quietly in front of the beautiful brunette who sat behind the bar, watching her from underneath his dark bangs. She would absentmindedly wipe the bar while she gazed out the window, her eyes hollow and dim and he knew he didn't need to question her to know what she was thinking about.

He licked his dry lips and took a small sip from the glass he held in his hand. Tifa had rung him up last week and he could still remember the words she whispered to him in-between her sobs. Her alleged boyfriend had walked out and left her with the bar and the two children they had both been taking care of, one being Marlene, who was Barret's adoptive daughter and Kenji was able to meet said man a few days only to hear him say he was going to go find that 'spiky headed ass' and then stormed out of Tifa's bar.

Kenji had promised to Tifa he'd help her out with everything if it went wrong, and seeing it had, here he was ready to help whenever she needed, but so far she had barely said a word to him. He couldn't work out whether she had blamed him, or didn't want to do anything to make her think she was betraying her boyfriend anymore.

Kenji highly doubted that this said 'spiky headed ass' would be coming back, he could recall slightly Tifa telling him once that he had ran away once before. But he didn't want to tell the young woman 

he wouldn't be coming back, mainly because he was unsure and didn't want to cause the woman anymore pain. "How about we go out tonight Tifa?" He asked her quietly, barely moving his lips from his glass.

The woman's cold dark eyes moved to his face and locked with his own eyes. She watched the smile cross his face and she looked away. "It's not good for you to be sitting round here by yourself at night, you know, you might feel better for it?" He said again, broadening his smile at her and lowering his glass onto the marble surface.

"Where to?" She whispered, barely parting her lips but still staring down at her feet.

"Wherever you want to go." He smiled again, and Tifa found herself smiling back to his own intoxicating grin.

She thanked Barret quietly when he walked into the bar, allowing her not to answer the dark haired young man in front of her. Tifa stared at the huge man and hoped for some reason Cloud would be standing behind him, but instead she got a smile from Barret and he leant across the bar and pulled her into a one armed hug.

He turned and faced Kenji and dropped a hand onto his shoulder and squeezed it slightly. If it was up to him, he'd blame the 'stupid little rich kid' that sat beside him for all that had happened; if it wasn't for Tifa's pleading to leave him alone. He had to admit it; the kid had been turning up nearly every day for the past week or so and checking she was alright. "Any luck?" Tifa asked bringing him back to reality. Barret looked up and frowned slightly not wanting to speak the words Cloud had said to him to her.

* * *

_Barret stared at the motorbike left at the front of a small bar near Junon. He walked forwards and pushed open the door and glanced round the quiet bar expecting there to be uproar inside for some reason. His eyes scanned the bare bar that had few photos on the walls and scattered wooden tables that had seen better days; in short it was nothing like the Seventh Heaven. Eventually his eyes landed on a mess of blond hair in the corner. He pushed himself past the various other customers who were all sitting quietly as well, all of them deeply involved with whatever drink was in front of them to care about the bulk of the man who pushed his way to the back corner._

_When he finally reached the table at the back where the blond young man sat he stood and glared down at him, knowing that Cloud would have heard him arrive before the door to the bar even _

_opened. He watched a gloved hand reach forward and bring the dirty looking glass to his lips and drank slowly from it, he stared at the contents of the glass trying to work out what the blond was drinking he'd always figured Cloud as not much of a drinker, clearly he was wrong . He shook his head slightly bringing himself back into reality before speaking. "Don't you think you've got some explaining to do?" He muttered, thinking back remembering seeing Tifa cry her eyes out as she pleaded to the ex-leader to find Cloud and bring him back._

_Getting no reply he pushed himself into a seat across from the blond listening to the wood creak under his weight put he paid no heed to it and stared into the young man's pale face, seeing the heavy dark rings under his eyes suggesting he'd been driving throughout the night as well as the day. The still glowing azure eyes looked up and locked for a moment with Barret's own dark eyes and sent a shiver down his spine seeing the anger and sorrow still in them. He shifted his weight in the wooden chair and it squeaked loudly under his weight once again and it made him glance down once before returning his gaze. "Well?" He asked, finding his patience beginning to wear thin._

"_What would you do Barret?" Cloud asked solemnly tightening his grip round the glass, listening to the leather of his glove squeak. Barret returned his gaze, unsure if it was a rhetorical question. "What would you do, if someone you loved lied to you so much and blamed you for everything that was wrong in your relationship?"_

'_Tifa left that part out.' thought Barret to himself looking away from the blond. _

"_I'm not going back." The blond warrior said sternly bringing the glass back to his lips. "Nothing you can do or say will make me go back." Cloud glared at the older man harshly, no longer caring if he would have to raise his fists to the man to get his point across._

_Barret stared up at him knowing this was coming while he was looking for the blond, but now he'd found him he didn't know what to say. "But, she's your friend right, we all are." He muttered the first thing that came to his head._

"_That's what I thought." Cloud muttered from underneath his bangs once more and drained the glass dry before bringing it sharply down to the wooden table. "I've had enough, it isn't going to work anyway, and I don't want to be there anymore." He pushed the chair from him and made his way towards the exit. Barret frowned at him and followed the blond outside._

"_What I'm I gonna tell Teef then?" Barret snapped, not allowing the younger man's stubborn side to get the better of him. _

"_I don't care." Cloud argued back, swinging his leg over his bike and sitting on it comfortably. "Tell her what you want; I'm not bothered about her anymore." Barret glared at him angrily, Tifa was like a daughter to him he wasn't about to let Cloud talk about her like this._

"_After everything she's done for you, that's what you're gonna do and say, just runaway from her and everything?" Barret snarled, folding his arms across his chest. _

"_What about everything I've done for her, and for you, and for everyone else?!" Cloud retorted, bringing the black riding goggles to his eyes and placing them carefully on his face._

"_Are you at least going to tell us where you'll be?" Barret snapped back as the bike's engine roared into life, Cloud stared at him for a moment and then leaned forward onto his bike and sent it speeding away._

* * *

Barret stared at Tifa quietly, wondering what to say. He slowly licked his lips and leaned forward onto the bar. "I'm sorry Teef." He began, already seeing the hurt in her eyes before he said anything.

Tifa choked on her tears and wiped them away quickly. "He isn't coming back, is he?" She asked dropping the cloth in her hand into the bowl full of lukewarm water. Barret shook his head and lowered his eyes away from hers. "Oh." She muttered quietly. She knew this was coming one way or another but now she knew for sure she had no idea how to deal with it. "Where is he?" She asked.

Barret shrugged and sat up more straight on his stool. "He wouldn't say." Tifa nodded and looked to Barret.

"You mind if you take care of the bar for a minute or two, I'm just going..." Tifa muttered turning slowly on her heel and disappearing upstairs. Barret frowned slightly and slowly stood up before growling in his throat as he watched Kenji already leaping up the stairs after the brunette.

Kenji pushed open Tifa's door and he stared at the young woman who sat on the edge of her bed, her tears like crystals running down her cheeks. "Come on Tifa." He muttered, closing the door behind him quietly before making his way to her bed and sitting beside her. "Don't get upset."

Tifa tried to smile through her tears and looked to the dark haired man who returned her gaze. He wrapped on arm round her shoulders and hugged her tight. Tifa smiled slightly to herself, noting how Kenji's embrace lacked Cloud's strength in even just that. The thought of Cloud made her choke on her tears once more and she felt Kenji squeeze her in reply.

"Come on Tifa." He repeated, letting go of her and twisting round to face her. "He isn't worth this." The dark haired man muttered, lifting up his hand to her face and wiping a tear away with his thumb before lowering his hand onto her shoulder. "If he isn't even prepared to stand by you and help, he isn't worth it at all."

Tifa glared up at Kenji, his words cutting right through her as he spoke of Cloud so harshly, but at the same time she found comfort in them and she felt a smile grace her face.

"He doesn't deserve you Tifa, he takes you for granted it's so clear."

"Your right." She found herself saying, unsure where it came from but something in the back of her mind reassured her.

"Because, you're so kind, and loving, and beautiful." Kenji muttered with a smile his eyes locked with hers. He raised his hand once more to her cheek and wiped away any trace of tears.

Tifa raised her own hand to his and felt him lean forward and his lips touch hers. She flinched slightly at first and felt Kenji about to move but locked her hands round his neck and eased into his kiss allowing to part her lips. She closed her eyes and instantly forgot about Cloud, only thinking about the man in front of her and his child growing in her womb.

* * *

:O what do we think, do you think Tifa's over Cloud, or, or, she will still miss him?? Heh cliff hangers love them... and will Cloud go back or will he be totally emo and go disappear somewhere and never return??

Thanks for reading!!


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: **Another special thanks (as always) to **Black-Valentine-1992**for reviewing on my previous chapter!! I have to admit, I've written this pretty quick, so sorry if it does sound a little rushed!!

* * *

The sunlight streamed through the glistening windows that were partially open allowing a small breeze to enter the room, making the white curtains blow round and then slowly settle down back into place. The corner of the wooden four poster bed was the only part that caught the sun, the evidence being the near white washed corner of the blue bed sheets.

The traffic outside began to fill the room up as the minutes ticked by, before finally rousing the young man and the brunette besides him. He stretched his arms up to the ceiling before allowing his eyes open and he turned to his lover who lay quietly besides him. He leaned forward and slowly kissed her neck and she turned to his, her dark eyes locking with his own.

They both smiled to one another and Kenji lifted his hand and stroked her beautiful glossy hair and smoothed it down. "How do you feel?" He asked quietly, not wanting to break the perfect silence that had engulfed them but knew he had to.

"I feel fine." She whispered in return, pulling her hand up and resting her head into the palm of her hand. She saw the small smile of surprise grip his lips and she too was surprised seeing it was the first time for a long while she hadn't woke up and had the urge to run to the bathroom.

Kenji smiled once more, before turning round and throwing the sheets off of him and then grabbed the dark blue robe that he had thrown onto the chair last night. "I better get ready." He said, tying the sash round his waist and then dropping his hands into the deep pockets.

Tifa sat up quickly staring down at her stomach wondering when the first signs would show, she heard Kenji laugh and she looked up and frowned at him. "It's only been ten weeks." He muttered quietly, his eyes fixed with hers. Tifa nodded, it had been four blissful weeks that she had spent with Kenji at his apartment that was still in Edge. He'd managed to make her agree to come live with him and for someone to take care of the Seventh Heaven for her until she had had her baby. It had been five weeks since she'd last heard from Cloud and found herself no longer caring for the blond young man. She had been hoping he'd ring her to at least ask how she was but none such thing happened. If he did not care for her, she found there was no point wasting her time by worrying about him.

She looked up to Kenji who was flicking through the cream wardrobe at the opposite side of the bedroom. "Why do you have to leave?" Tifa mumbled, gathering the sheets closer round her body.

"I have a meeting." He said quickly, finally pulling out a grey suit and holding it out for Tifa's nod of approval which he got. "With Rufus." He finally added, eyeing the suit himself. Tifa never really asked what Kenji did do, he seemed to never work occasionally having to attend meetings with Rufus Shinra and he would either return frustrated or elated. She figured he helps fund Shinra, with their new research into finding other fuels they can use to help power the planet again and she guessed he had a say in what they do occasionally, but she hadn't troubled herself into finding out more.

He'd long disappeared into the shower while Tifa had thought quietly to herself and she fell back into reality from the noise of the traffic outside. She blinked as she stared straight out of the window and into the almost direct sunlight. She rubbed her temples and stared round the perfect bedroom and stared at the note on the side table which had her own handwriting on it. She pushed herself off of the bed and grabbed her own white robe and wrapped it round her slim body before crossing the room quickly, her bare feet sinking into the soft carpet.

She lifted the note up off the table and smiled, she couldn't believe that she had forgotten it was Marlene's birthday in the next few days and Barret had obviously rung her last night to remind her.

Tifa turned and watched Kenji walk in, fully dressed and combing his dark shoulder length hair across his head, reminding Tifa slightly of Rufus Shinra. He smiled once at her and then pulled her into a quick kiss and then quickly letting her go and making his way to the door. "I'll be home later."

* * *

His sword slammed down into the ground and through the second Levrikon and he twisted round dodging the bird like creature's flaming beak as it slammed onto the spot where Cloud had been standing only half a second earlier, he swung his gigantic blade upwards and slashed the beast in half.

Cloud turned once more and flicked his blade with ease through another two of the monsters and they instantly dropped to the floor. The blond frowned and glance round the open space and knew he'd thought there were more than just the five Levrikons wondering around.

He wiped the small beads of sweat off his brow and then swung his sword upwards and sheathed it across his back. He took a single more glance round checking there was nothing hanging round that might try and jump on him while he wasn't paying attention and he then slowly made his way towards the blur of yellow. Where the several Chocobo's squawked loud enough to be heard miles away.

It wasn't a matter of coincidence that Cloud just happened to be near the Chocobo farm, to save the few yellow birds from being ravaged. He needed Gil and setting up the delivery service again and finding new clients took time and he needed the money then and there, so here he was acting as a mercenary once more. _Doing whatever jobs as long as it paid well._

He smiled slightly at the thought, remembering Zack's words entering his head, to bothered to notice the small man applaud him and thank him for his good work. Cloud merely nodded occasionally and took the Gil from the man and slowly made his way back towards his bike.

He hadn't heard from a single person for nearly four weeks, the last person he saw was Barret back when he told him about Tifa and trying to take him back to her. He got an occasional phone call from the man to ask if he was doing okay, but Cloud being himself never felt the urge to return anyone's phone call. He'd had a message from Yuffie a while back and remembered her telling him she'd drag him back to the Seventh Heaven if she had too, and like Barret neither did she get a phone call in return.

He guessed that Tifa was okay now, maybe she was with the guy whoever got her pregnant and once again he found himself unable to care.

He sat down onto his bike and turned and looked up at the clouds, taking the moment in for a while. He heard his phone ring in his pocket and he ignored it once more silently watching the clouds go by. The ring ended suddenly and he found his curiosity getting the better of him so he reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone and flipped it open, he stared at the screen reading '_One Missed Call' _pulling the phone to his ear he listened to the message and held his breath for a minute waiting for whoever it was to attack him verbally.

"_Cloud, it's Barret. Just ringing to tell you it's Marlene's birthday in three days, I don't expect you to show and I don't care if you don't, I wouldn't be inviting you if the kid didn't ask me to, so show your face for her right?" _

Placing his phone back into his pocket he gazed round at the lush green fields as if Barret was standing besides him telling him to come. It was clear he'd lost his friends, just from hearing Barret say his name instead of _'Spiky' _was obvious enough, but if that wasn't enough the rest of the message made it clear. It made him wonder if they knew what Tifa had done, but he figured she was the kind of person who wouldn't lie and obviously everyone had chosen her over him.

He hadn't or wasn't surprised at that at all. Maybe he was tolerated just because they had to? He shrugged the thought away and was about to turn the engine on for his bike before another thought invaded his mind. What would Marlene actually want for her birthday?

Now without a woman in his life this posed a problem. He drummed his fingers on the metal of his bike, listening to the soft thuds of leather against the cool, shining metal. He stared round the fields once more, as if the answer would appear right in front of him. _Maybe I shouldn't go...? _He thought over, never thinking something this easy would cause a dilemma in his life. _Marlene wants you to go. _He scratched the back of his head and flicked one of his blond spikes out of his eyes.

Deciding he'd deal with it another time, he pulled his riding goggles to his face and neatly pressed them up his nose before bringing the bike to life and drove away leaving a trail of dust in the air in his leave.

* * *

The young ninja sat quietly on top of a broken brick wall. She dug at the dirt under her nails and looked up and sighed. Feeling totally unlike herself she fell to the floor and paced up and down the street path her hands behind her back.

She groaned loudly and jumped up and down on the floor losing her patience quickly. "Vinnie!" She cried loudly, hoping the man would appear from nowhere and tell her everything she needed to know. _Fat chance about that... _She thought whilst rolling her eyes.

Yuffie huffed and twirled on the spot staring down at her boots and rubbed the dirt off the end with her other foot. Being sure she heard footsteps she twisted round and nearly smacked into the dark haired man. "You sure took your sweet time!" She snapped at the enigma of a man. Yuffie took a step back and glared up at the man, her hands on her hips while she waited for an answer. The man stared back through his blood coloured eyes at the teen and watched her roll her eyes once more and raise her hands in defeat.

"We should leave." He said quickly heading down the backstreet knowing the girl would follow him so did not check to see if she was.

"What, leave Wutai?!" She screamed loudly glaring at the man's back and at his red torn cape that she had told him many times to change. "Leave Wutai?!" She repeated after getting no answer to her previous question. She ran a few paces, her feet pounding against the floor as she caught up with the mysterious man. "Why?!" She pined looking up at the man's pale face.

"It isn't safe here anymore." He mumbled again, still walking at a constant pace.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" She cried jumping in the man's way making him come to a sudden stop. "I'm not letting them bring Wutai down again, no way!" She cried, pouting up at the man.

"And you think you won't get hurt?" Vincent mumbled, no emotion on his face to see if he was being sarcastic or not. He waited for an answer knowing the teen was forming one in her quick mind.

"Of course I won't, I'm the great ninja Yuffie!" She cried smiling up at him. Vincent sighed once again knowing that was Yuffie's answer to nearly everything and also knew that she would still follow him. "Come on Vinnie, we can take them!" She pleaded and stood her ground and watched the man disappear.

"Maybe some other time." He muttered back, knowing the girl would believe him long enough to give him a break from her constant questions. "We should speak to the others first." He added shortly after

"I knew it!" She cried, ignoring his second sentence and then ran after him once more, disappearing round the corner.

* * *

Hehe I've added another thing to my story, what do ya think??

Annnd, in the next chapter Cloud meets Kenji just to give you a taste :P, so hum what do we think will go off there??

Thanks for reading!!


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: **Wow, I really haven't updated in a long time and if I'm honest I've had this chapter ready for well over a month and I couldn't bring myself to post it because I hate it that much!! Anyways I guess here it is and I hope it's not that bad.

* * *

Tifa found herself smiling when she saw the various balloons tied down to the floor outside the newly built house. She'd long knew about this home being built, as it was Barret's and he'd long been saying how he was hoping to start up his own family with Elmyra, who had become more than just a friend.

Tifa smiled broader at the thought and felt Kenji squeeze her hand slightly bringing her back to reality. The brunette glanced up and watched as the young girl came running out her arms spread out and then instantly ran into her long time motherly figure and hugged her tightly. Tifa hugged the small girl tightly and turned to Kenji who simply smiled in return.

Marlene eventually let go and looked to the man in front of her and merely smiled. Tifa held back a laugh, knowing how shy Marlene sometimes can be to strangers, she briefly remembered how long it took the girl to adjust to Cloud's presence. The thought of the young man made Tifa glance round to see if his monstrosity of a bike was around and it clearly wasn't.

She knew how awkward it would be to see him, but she wasn't going to let him ruin everything for her, she also knew Barret only invited him because Marlene wanted him to come, and together Barret and Tifa both doubted that he would show.

Pushing the thought out of her mind she watched Marlene's face light up as Kenji bent down and hand her the neatly wrapped up present. "Thank you Tifa!" the young girl cried. "Thank you Mr Sawyer." The girl nodded with a thanks and turned and ran back inside, instantly alerting everyone that Tifa had arrived.

The brunette turned to Kenji and saw the anxious look across his face. "Everyone will love you." She whispered to him. Tifa knew everyone had been alerted about Cloud's exit and Kenji's entrance, but everyone was yet to meet him. Tugging the young man in behind her Tifa walked into Barret and Elmyra's home.

She was instantly greeted by everyone and could only smile in return, not having enough time to even mutter a hello. As soon as the room fell quieter and people returned to their own conversations, she glanced round the expertly cleaned room guessing this had been Elmyra's work and defiantly not Barret's.

The table and chairs had been pushed to the edges of the room giving a clear space to where Marlene sat with her friends including Denzel and stared at her vast amount of presents, while parents and friends watched on.

Tifa set herself into introducing Kenji to everyone and smiled to herself as she watched Kenji fall into a deep conversation with Cid and wondered what they could possibly be talking about. Everything was falling into place just perfectly.

* * *

His mako eyes fell onto the newly built house set in the outskirts of Kalm. Cloud stared round the area hoping someone else was as late as he was and could walk in with them and not feel so bad or appear as bad.

He knew he was stupid to accept a job on the same morning, but he needed the Gil at the time and he figured it wouldn't take so long. Clearly he was wrong.

Leaning forward he stared into the side mirror and wiped at the dry blood left on his cheek from a scratch that he'd received from a small Behemoth that had been wondering round the ruins of Midgar and needed to be taken care of.

He groaned loudly when the scratch started to bleed once more and he sighed in defeat. Looking once more round the area, also wishing he'd decided to bring a set of clean clothes, that didn't smell of sweat or blood, to change into.

Deciding he was going to be met with a cold reception anyway, he swung himself off of his bike and thanked himself for using the cure materia back in Midgar instead of rushing here first and then doing it. But it still didn't hide the fact that the monster had managed to slash at his legs.

He finally headed towards the house and frowned when he could hear the laughter from inside and wondered whether he'd be missed. _Marlene wanted you to come and you're here now. _A voice said in the back of his mind that convinced him to go in. His hand rested on the shining silver door handle and he braced himself as he pushed it open, instantly hearing the chorus of everyone singing 'Happy Birthday'.

Everyone fell silent and turned and stared at him, deep frowns set on their faces save for a small laugh coming from Cid who stood at the back besides Shera who instantly tried to silence him. "Cloud!" The blond turned and watched the small girl run towards him. He dropped to his knees and 

let the girl run to him and he hugged her tight in return. "I thought you weren't going to come!" she cried instantly letting go off him and wrinkling her nose at him only just noticing the smell of sweat.

"You know I wouldn't miss your birthday." He lied quickly, the idea that he had seeming cleverer than actually coming. He handed the girl her present and watched her run back towards everyone else.

He got to his feet and returned everyone's glares until they finally looked away and continued in wishing Marlene happy birthday. The blond looked round the room and felt that he should leave and frowned slightly when he saw the top of Tifa's shining brunette hair. Finally catching the sight of what he hoped would give him a friendly acceptance was Vincent.

Cloud made his way towards the man and the dark haired man nodded to acknowledge his presence. "What the hell have you been doing?!" Someone hissed from behind Vincent. Cloud sighed knowing Yuffie wouldn't leave the mysterious man alone for a single minute. The blond turned his back to the young girl and tried to focus on the much younger girl who was currently opening her presents.

"Working." He mumbled back folding his arms across his chest.

"And when did _delivering _mean you looked like a complete mess?!" Yuffie snarled back, standing in front of the blond warrior her hands going to her hips something she had clearly picked up off the older dark haired woman.

"I haven't been _delivering." _He hissed in reply, still not trying to pay much attention to the ninja in front of him, knowing eventually she'd get bored if he gave her simple replies and didn't give in to her demands. He saw in the corner of his eye, her own bright green eyes narrow and then glance to Vincent who shook his head once.

"Then, what have you been doing, if not delivering?" She asked, merely out of curiosity. Cloud didn't answer; not thinking the question needed an answer if the girl put her mind to it. "Right, I'm guessing you're just going round fighting things." She said her lips curling at the corners whilst staring at him. "A mercenary, right?!" She cried almost loud enough for everyone to hear. The blond nodded once and still tried to not give her his full attention.

He saw her turn to the older man and watched him shake his head once again; to the question she didn't even need to say. "How about I give you a job opportunity?" She asked a smile crossing her face, no longer caring about how he treated Tifa or what she had done to him for that matter.

"Yuffie." Vincent muttered, glaring at the teen through blood red eyes.

"He might be interested!" Yuffie cried in protest and turned back to the younger man, smiling up with a sly grin as if she would say she wouldn't take all his materia off of him. "Well in Wutai..."

"No." The blond said quickly turning and staring at the girl hoping his cold mako eyes would silence her.

"You haven't even heard what I've got to say!" She snarled back, glancing over her shoulder making sure no one else was listening in.

"Because you don't need too." He snapped. He knew what was going off in Wutai, there was a terrorist group or something along those lines forming and he guessed they were trying to restore Wutai back to its former glory, which was why Yuffie had to be interested, or either they had huge amounts of materia. Cloud guessed the first suggestion. And they were setting about trying to finish Shinra for an unknown reason.

"But, it's just another job!" She cried again, still smiling up at him. Cloud glared down at the girl and she huffed and turned back around and tried and pay attention to the celebrations.

* * *

Cloud had remained quiet for the rest of the afternoon, standing at the back being treated as if he wasn't there, that is except for Denzel who had asked when he was coming back and that they could all go back and live at the bar. Being ignored didn't bother him too much he'd rather be standing on the sidelines than having to make conversation, but he still couldn't ignore the fact that everyone was treating Tifa normally as if Cloud had been the villain in the whole piece.

He'd considered asking someone if they actually knew she was pregnant but guessed it was a stupid question. The blond pulled his leather gloves off and stowed them away in his pocket and cracked his knuckles. When he turned his head back up his mako eyes were met with a pair of dark eyes.

Cloud frowned at the sudden intrusion of his personal space. He glared at the taller man and brought himself up to his full height and returned the man's gaze. Cloud guessed the other was older, seeing the appearance of wrinkles at the corner of his eyes. His dark hair had been slicked backwards, with a few bangs falling in front of his face; his shirt was white and opened at the top showing off dark tanned skin. The man suddenly extended his hand and Cloud stared down at it, seeing the expensive looking gold chain round his wrist.

The blond warrior slowly took it allowing his own callused hand to scratch against the man's smooth skin, he slowly looked back up at the man who grinned with a seductive smile than made Cloud only frown in return. "There's no point of hostilities while we are here." The older man muttered, making Cloud wonder what he was on about. The blond then stared back at him, dropping his hand away from the others after a firm shake. "Kenji Sawyer." He added, smiling once more making Cloud wonder if the man only had to do that to get a woman to do whatever he wanted. "And you're Cloud?" The blond fell back into reality at the sound of his name and still didn't speak, knowing the man knew full well who he was. There was a long awkward silence and he watched Kenji glance over his shoulder and stared at the brunette beauty who was currently talking to the young ninja. "I'm with Tifa, if you hadn't guessed." Kenji said with a smile.

Cloud glared at him, wondering if there had been a hint of sarcasm in his voice when he spoke. "If you're here to boast you might as well leave before I show you the door myself." Cloud muttered back, deciding he didn't like the man one bit and would throw him out of the window for pure enjoyment. He saw the frown appear on the man's face and Cloud allowed his lips to curl at the corners.

"I'm not here to start a feud." Kenji muttered taking a step closer towards the smaller man and narrowed his eyes at him, not believing that Tifa had been head over heels for this mess of a man once.

"I'm not either; I wouldn't even had spoken to you if I had to." Cloud returned, still resisting the urge to grab the man up his shirt collar and throw him across the room. He watched the dark haired man shift his weight uneasily.

"No hard feelings, right?" Kenji asked with a smile, looking into the man's tell tale mako eyes. "I just want to take care of her and the child." He looked over his shoulder once more and looked to Tifa who hadn't noticed him speaking to Cloud yet; he turned back around and saw the murderous glare in the younger man's eyes.

"Oh so you're the guy?!" The blond said quickly, his voice dripping with anger. The room suddenly fell silent and everyone twisted round to watch the conversation. Cloud took another step forward again and heard his knuckles crack again. "Didn't think it would be clever to keep that quiet?"

"You would have found at one point any way." Kenji returned not backing away from the spiky haired blond.

"For your sake you should have waited." Cloud snarled back, ready to heave the man off his feet and toss him through the window. His knuckles cracked one final time and were ready to throw his face into the man's perfect face.

"Cloud." He felt a heavy hand fall onto his shoulder and squeeze it tight. The blond stared at the dark hand and waited for it to be lifted.

"Kenji!" Tifa's words echoed through his head and he looked over the taller man's shoulder and watched as his childhood friend made her way towards the other. Cloud took a small step backwards forgetting that Barret was behind him, the older man's hand finally sliding off of his shoulder. "Oh, Cloud." She said quietly, linking her arm into the dark haired man. "I see you've met Kenji." She said with barely any emotion in her voice. "I trust you'll treat him differently to whatever you attacked this morning." She said with a small smile as she glanced him up and down whilst Cloud stared at her blankly.

"I wouldn't waste my time." The blond said back firmly, taking a final stare at the taller man and pushed past the two and made his way for the door and left. He breathed in the fresh air once he got outside and stood quietly at the front door.

He could never remember Tifa ever speaking to him like that before, with such a cold and emotionless tone.

"Maybe she has before." He mumbled quietly to himself, and slowly walked down the steps the gravel eventually crunching under his feet. "Because you never paid any attention."

* * *

**A/N: **I couldn't exactly let them fight it out now could I, especially at Marlene's birthday :P haha so you'll have to wait a little longer.


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: **Where do I begin?? Sorry, Sorry, Sorry, Sorry, Sorry, Sorry, Sorry, and Sorry again, for not updating in like the last what two/three months!!! I just had kind of lost the inspiration to write this and then I actually wrote this up and thought I'll just load it up anyways!! A huge thank you again, to everyone who had reviewed on the last chapter (you know who you are) and I'm sorry again if i didn't reply to you as it was such a long time ago, i don't remember if i did or didn't! And again another thank you to the people who have stuck by this and are going to continue reading it (hopefully).

So the story's actually getting a bit deeper now and I'm adding more stuff into it, hopefully to get it out of the one-dimension kind of thing! I hope everyone likes it and again, SORRY!

* * *

Tifa stared blankly at the television screen, she watched as she saw injured people lying in the middle of roads and saw children screaming. The screams would be overridden of the sounds of rapid gun shots that persisted continuously, Tifa didn't pay much attention to the reporter who was talking about the death of the General of Shinra's army.

Clutching the hem of her black skirt and tightening her grip as she thought of Yuffie. She knew the teen had joined the new rebel group in Wutai and she had briefly said that this group were going to bring Wutai back to its former glory and also she managed to accidently let it slip that they were planning on overthrowing Shinra, who they believed were still using mako energy.

Tifa had tried to convince the teen not to do this at Marlene's birthday party but the girl seemed determined to do this. At least she knew Vincent was out there as well, protecting the teen, but had not yet taken a side. Tifa paused again, wondering if a certain blond was out there as well, seeing he was working as a mercenary, but she guessed the blond might have at least some sense in not getting mixed up in this.

"Don't get worried about it." Kenji said making Tifa jump who was deeply absorbed in her thoughts and watching the screen. "Yuffie will be fine." He said, placing a hand on her shoulder and squeezing it slightly. "And you said Vincent was there as well, he looks like he can take care of himself." Tifa smiled up at him and rested her hand on top of his.

"I just want to do something." She whispered, turning her head back to see the screen and watched as the report ended and continued to something else. Kenji laughed and fell down onto the couch besides her.

"No you don't." He laughed. "You've got other things to care about now, its three months already." He smiled, placing his hand on Tifa's stomach where the small bump was slowing appearing.

"Alright, I promise." Tifa laughed, pushing his hand off of her. The two fell silent as Tifa's phone rang and she scrambled across the couch and over Kenji and answered it. "Hello?" She asked quickly.

"_Did you see it?!" _Tifa rolled her eyes, when she heard the hyperactive ninja's voice down the phone and didn't need to tell Kenji who had heard the girl's voice that she was that loud. _"Did you see it?!" _She repeated after not getting an answer quick enough.

"What the news report?" Tifa asked, her eyebrows furrowing as she glanced back to the T.V and then to Kenji who held up his hands showing he didn't want to be involved.

"_Yeah, I was on it, did you see me?!" _The teen cried, making Tifa imagine the girl was jumping up and down with excitement.

"Yuffie, I really think you should leave Wutai and wait for it to blow over." Tifa pleaded, falling into the couch as she spoke to the girl.

"_Why, you think I'll get hurt?" _Yuffie replied and Tifa didn't bother to answer knowing Yuffie well enough to know the girl will tell her the answer herself. _"Not me, the great ninja Yuffie!" _

"Yes I know Yuffie, but that doesn't mean you won't get hurt!" Tifa pleaded again, running her fingers through her hair.

"_I'm fine Teef, stop worrying; I've got Vinnie here to protect me, right Vinnie?" _Tifa heard a hum of a reply from the said man and rolled her eyes. _"Well, I gotta go now Tifa got top secret agent stuff to be doing, see you soon!" _

Tifa pulled the phone from her ear when she heard it go dead and she flipped her phone shut. Sighing loudly she turned to Kenji who was getting dressed properly again into his usual grey suit. "Are you leaving?" Tifa asked, still holding the phone in her hand as she watched him.

He ran his fingers through his shoulder length hair while staring in the mirror at himself. "I have to make sure Shinra aren't spending my money on nothing." He said with a laugh.

"Do you think, you could talk to Rufus, and see if he'll let Wutai be?" She asked a desperate hope that he might be able to stop this pitiful war over nothing and then both Yuffie and Vincent will be safe.

"It's not up to me what Shinra's military do." He muttered, pulling at the tie round his neck and smoothing it down into place, staring at Tifa through the mirror.

Tifa shuffled uneasily and brought her legs up onto the couch and tucked them underneath her. "Surely you could say something though, Rufus has a say in what the military does though." She added, looking back at him through the mirror as well.

"Tifa, it isn't up to me!" He replied again a small laugh in his voice while he spoke.

"But, Kenji..." Tifa began again getting to her feet and walking towards him. He turned around sharply and glared at the brunette.

"I said no." He snapped still glaring at her, before turning back around and fixing his tie. "I'll be back later." Tifa watched him throw open the door and slam it behind him.

She'd not yet seen Kenji angry and decided she didn't like it. She glared at the door one final time and also decided she'd speak to him when he got home.

* * *

Cloud pushed open the double doors to the Shinra building that was in Edge, he was instantly hit by the blast from the air conditioners placed above the entrance and he welcomed the cool air from the near unbearable heat outside from the middle of summer that Edge was in. "Take all the time you need Strife, it's not like there's a war going off." Cloud frowned, instantly recognised the voice.

"Sorry to keep you waiting Reno, I didn't realise I was here to see you." Cloud returned curtly, smirking at the red headed man who was leaning against the side of the double doors, his spiky red hair being blown about in the air conditioners.

Reno rolled his eyes and moved from his comfortable position by the doors and walked past the blond. "Well, you know I'd never pass off a chance to see you Spiky." Reno called back, digging his hands into his back pockets while strolling across the reception looking over his shoulder to check the other man was following him.

Cloud stared at Reno's back and followed him slowly. He'd received a call later that day from Reno on Rufus' behalf, talking about a job opportunity, and he guessed it was most likely the same job offer as it was last time, being Rufus' _muscle_ as he had called it wasn't something he felt like doing. But he had decided to humour the head of Shinra and come to his building and speak with him.

The doors to the elevator opened up and Cloud followed Reno out. He couldn't help but take a look outside the window and even he was amazed at the beautiful sight of the whole of Edge and the ruined Midgar that from this distance did look breathtaking.

The red headed Turk pushed open one of the glazed glass doors and waited for Cloud to walk in and then hastily walked in himself.

Cloud eyed the blond haired man, who was no longer restricted to a wheelchair from his Geostigma and was wearing nothing more than his plain white yet expensive looking suit. "It's good to see you Cloud." The head of Shinra said with what could be a passable genuine smile.

Cloud nodded once in return and took the chair Rufus offered. "I heard you're no longer living with Tifa at her bar." He said, while staring out of the window, his hands folded behind his back. Cloud didn't answer, only stared at the man's back. "Reno rung her earlier after not being able to get in contact with you and she seems to have a new...hostility...towards you." Rufus said turning round to face the other blond young man. "She said you're working as a mercenary now, no longer a delivery boy anymore Cloud?" Rufus half laughed at his own joke before sitting down in his own black leather chair and folded his legs.

"It isn't your business." Cloud said quietly, not moving from the chair nor turning to look at the two Turks behind him, knowing wherever Reno was Rude wasn't far behind and knew the bald Turk was standing at the back along with the red headed Turk.

"Of course." Rufus merely said. "Anyway, I have a job opportunity for you, which I think will suit you perfectly if I dare say." The blond man began, pausing only slightly only to see if Cloud had anything to say. "As you will well know, there's this uproar in Wutai once again and I want it to be silenced. And after losing my General recently, I have to take control of this monstrosity myself." He paused again, wondering if the blond warrior across from him had guessed yet what he was suggesting. "And then I thought who better to offer this newly opened opportunity to none other than Cloud Strife." Shinra finished and rested his elbows on his desk and stared into the others face with a small grin. "Well?"

Cloud laughed once in return and leaned back into the leather chair. "Don't want the blame of it on your own head Rufus?" Cloud smirked, his mako eyes piercing through Rufus' normal blue eyes.

"Well, you're a Soldier aren't you?" Rufus laughed back, leaning back into his own chair and twisting it slightly with his ankles.

Cloud glared at him through now narrowed mako eyes. "In my head." He muttered back his own smile crossing his face as he got to his feet.

"Well if that's right, you surely understand more of this sort of thing than anyone else in the Shinra military?" Rufus asked. "And that's why I am asking you to do this." Cloud looked down at the head of Shinra, completely surprised that the man was almost begging. "All I want to do is rebuild this world, you know that Cloud, and I can't have a terrorist group biting at my heels, suggesting that I am still using mako energy, which I would like to say I am not." Cloud stared down at his feet in thought, wondering what he could possibly gain from this. "And maybe if they learn that an Ex-Soldier is taking over it may make them more...lenient." Cloud frowned at him and watched as Rufus thought quickly to redeem himself from what he previously said. "If that is not enough, know that unlike a mercenary you will have a secure job and somewhere to live." Rufus smirked as he saw Cloud in deep thought. "Need time to think it over?" He asked, and then leaned back into his chair.

Cloud lifted his head and glared at the other blond man in the room. "You get _yourself_ out of this _by_ yourself." He snarled through gritted teeth and then turned on his heel and headed for the door.

He heard the head of Shinra sigh loudly and he allowed a sly smile to tug at his lips. "What if I give you, _mercenary, _a job offer?" Shinra asked his voice suddenly full of rage. Cloud glanced over his shoulder his hand gripping onto the cool metal of the glass door.

"Try me tomorrow." He muttered and threw the door open and left the three in their own company. Cloud slowly walked through the same corridor Reno had leaded him through earlier. He stopped at the elevators and waited patiently whilst staring down the hallway to see if either of Turks had decided to follow him out of the building. The thought of working for Shinra had chilled him to his bones and he shivered at the thought. He rubbed his temples feeling the beginning of a headache to come on and he stepped away from the doors as they slid open. Still keeping his head down he took no notice in whoever walked out and went past him and slowly headed out of the Shinra building.

* * *

"Are you sure?" Tifa asked, staring up at Kenji who had just walked into their apartment "Are you sure it was Cloud?" She repeated.

"Of course I am how many people walk around Edge with stupid spiky blond hair?" Kenji muttered, pulling his tie loose.

"What was he doing there?" She asked, leaning on the back of the couch and resting her head on her arm.

Kenji turned and slyly smiled at her and then turned away. "Rufus needed to speak to him, about a job or something, apparently the ungrateful boy said no."

"Cloud wouldn't work for them anyway." She said, as if she'd forgotten everything that had happened in the last few months. She twisted back around and sat quietly in the cream couch hoping Kenji didn't hear her. Looking over her shoulder once more she watched the man disappear, before she reached forwards and grabbed her phone that she had left on the side.

Flipping it open she carefully dialled the number that seemed fresh in her mind. She prayed he wouldn't answer it, not that he normally did, she couldn't face speaking to him, but still desperately needed to ask him something.

* * *

Who loves Reno??!!! ^^

Anyways.... I promise I'll get the next chapter up next week, maybe even sooner!!


	8. Chapter 8

Okay..I said I'd upload it in a week and it's been nearly two weeks so...sorry again. Hopefully this chapter might make up for it as it starts to set somethings going..I hope.

* * *

Tifa was pleased when Yuffie had decided to come visit her in Edge, as Yuffie had said she was taking a break from her _'secret agent life' _and obviously brought Vincent along too. Both Yuffie and herself sat outside a small cafe in the middle of Edge, after Yuffie had said how she wanted to go on a shopping trip and it would get Tifa out and also told her she'd been needing the clothes eventually because her others would no longer fit.

Tifa brought the white mug to her lips and sipped on the streaming coffee while wishing she hadn't ordered it seeing Edge was still in the middle of summer. Vincent had disappeared earlier; Yuffie had said he was following up on something from before. The older woman looked to the ninja who was watching the passers-by with deep intensity as if one of them would throw themselves at her and start a fight.

"Yuffie." Tifa began, deciding she'd speak with the girl once more and try and convince her out of her current 'adventure' as Yuffie had put it on several occasions. Yuffie hummed a reply, bring her own coffee mug to her lips but still staring at everyone around her except Tifa. "I think it's great what you're doing, stand up for what you believe in and everything..." She began and paused knowing the teen would interrupt her anyway.

"Thanks Teef, took your time coming around though!" Yuffie smiled at her once and quickly returned to her glaring.

Tifa sighed loudly and ran her fingers through her long unbound hair and then smoothed her black skirt down before turning her attention back to Yuffie. "Look Yuffie, don't you think this has gone on long enough? I don't want to see you hurt." Tifa pleaded again and knew she struck a nerve when the ninja turned and glared at her.

"So much for faith in your friends!" Yuffie cried, yet with a small playful smile on her face. "Don't think I can handle it?"

Tifa rolled her eyes and wiped her brow in frustration. "No I don't Yuffie, I know you want to get Wutai back to it's former glory but does it mean coming down to this? I mean do you think this 'group' will be able to stand up against a properly trained army?" She said ignoring the teen's first comment.

Yuffie turned and looked to Tifa. "You're as bad as Vinnie, he said that too!" Tifa made a mental note to thank Vincent when she saw him again later. "That's why he's been ringing Cloud, and Cloud being Cloud hasn't answered his phone so Vinnie has gone looking for him." Tifa laughed sarcastically and looked down at her mug wondering if the blond had gotten her message.

"You really think Cloud will help?" Tifa laughed again. "You know how self centred he is."

Yuffie frowned and swirled her coffee with the empty packet of sugar while she watched a car speed by. "Come on Teef, don't you think enough is enough now?" Tifa looked up, never believing that Yuffie would give her words of wisdom. "I'm guessing he's moved on now seeing he isn't getting in touch with you or any of us for that matter, he just doesn't care anymore. The least you can do is just let it go now Teef." Yuffie said looking up at the older woman. "Sure he's been a dick, but you can't change what's happened and bad mouthing him isn't going to change anything." Yuffie finally said, stopping from swirling her coffee and brought it to her lips and drank swiftly from it.

Tifa watched Yuffie, wanting nothing but to strangle the girl, but at the same time knew she was right. "I just want an apology." _Seeing as I've given one._

"For what?" Yuffie asked quickly, Tifa looked up at the girl in shock never believing she could be this out of character. "For leaving you while you were pregnant with someone else's child?" Yuffie raised an eyebrow and looked to the martial artist. Recently she had had enough of Tifa foul mouthing him and thought it was about time to knock some sense into her. "Maybe he's the one who should have the apology?"

Tifa lent back in her seat and stared at the girl defiantly, not allowing her to talk to her like this. "If you're here just to make me feel like a bad person, just leave."

Yuffie rolled her eyes and gave the woman a smile. "You know I'd never do that but, maybe it's about time you realise Cloud wasn't the only one who caused this." Yuffie drained her mug and turned to Tifa. "Anyways, let's go shopping and find out what Vinnie is up too!" Cried Yuffie jumping to her feet and hurrying out of the cafe.

Tifa watched her in wonder, thinking maybe Yuffie had been possessed for a while to make her say all those things and then suddenly switch back to Yuffie mode. Shrugging, Tifa got to her feet and followed the hyperactive girl who was already considering which shop to go into first. "Maybe you should ring Vincent first?" Tifa suggested, making sure the girl did the one thing that was probably most important to her at the moment. Yuffie turned to her, her mouth hanging open slightly in surprise and then nodded in agreement. She flipped out her phone and pressed one number, making Tifa guess she had Vincent on speed dial.

"Vinnie!" Yuffie cried making even Tifa wince from the shrill sound of her voice. "Any look?" Tifa watched the girl and saw the annoyed look on her face. "He said that?" "Okay." "Well do you want to come shopping with me and Teef?" Yuffie turned to Tifa and smiled and then frowned. "Why not?" "Vinnie?" She pulled the phone away from her and then looked up to Tifa. "He hung up on me?!"

"What did he say anyway?" Tifa asked as Yuffie stuffed her phone back into her pocket in annoyance.

"He said Cloud actually answered his phone and said he wasn't interested and didn't want to get involved." Yuffie said turning to look up at Tifa. "Anyways, let's get going." Tifa watched the girl bound ahead of her while she stood in thought. Cloud must have heard he message and it looked like he must be totally ignoring it.

* * *

"_Cloud, it's Tifa. Please just hear me out before you put the phone down. I heard you were speaking to Shinra the other day and I'm guessing maybe it's about Wutai. I know you didn't take the job, but, if there was something you could do, just to try and calm everything down, you would do it wouldn't you? I just don't want Yuffie to get hurt." _Her voice was like a blessing, as Cloud listened to the message again, he couldn't bring himself to delete the message from her. He felt like he'd already forgotten how peaceful her voice was. _"Cloud, look I'm sorry, things haven't worked out the way we wanted, but I want you to know that I am sorry. Maybe we should meet up sometime and talk. Be careful." _The message ended and he slowlyflipped his phone shut and slid it back into his pocket and then lifted his head, narrowing his eyes against the bright sunlight which he still wasn't used too, seeing this whole area used to live in smog.

He needed to talk and he barely realised how much he did miss the conversations he used to have after the answer phone message, or the conversations his friends had and he would be able to simply listen in. _You don't realise what you had until you've lost it. _Cloud frowned trying to ignore the small voice in his head that had recently been right.

Leaning against his bike he rubbed his gloved hand across the back of his neck wincing slightly as he felt the knotted muscle crack under his fingers. Looking back up he waited patiently, knowing the enigmatic gunner would soon arrive. There was something about Vincent he could relate too, much more than the others. He wasn't sure whether it was the man's silence and his occasional nods that told him he was doing the right thing, or his own tortured past that seemed as sinister as his own. In a way, he was the only person he could rightly trust, hence why he needed to speak to him now.

"How are you?" The man's cold quiet voice sent a shiver down his spine and Cloud twisted round and faced the red caped man who stood a few meters behind him.

"I need to talk." Cloud muttered, turning away from the man and pushing himself to his feet and headed for the small bar that was on the end of the row of buildings.

He could barely hear the man's footstep wondering if he was actually following him but didn't want to glance over his shoulder to check. Pushing open the glass and metal door to the small bar where he was instantly met by the cool air from the fan that sat on the white bar top. He made his way past the few customers that were in the run down place making him question if Tifa's business was destroying this other bar in Edge. He eventually sat himself down at the table in the corner and looked up to watch as the dark haired man sat himself down across the blond.

He licked his lips and sat up straight and rested his hands on the wooden table and held them together and slowly opened his mouth read to talk. He sighed when he heard the footsteps of the waitress walking over and he turned his head and frowned at the dark haired woman. Guessing he should order something he quickly asked for two waters and watched the woman disappear. "What is it you need to speak about?" Vincent asked his voice still quiet while he leaned back into the cushioned red wooden chair. Cloud glanced up and watched the waitress drop two bottles down and then disappear.

"It's about this whole thing in Wutai." Cloud mumbled, seeing Vincent raise one eyebrow making him guess he was going to speak about Tifa. Cloud frowned at him for even thinking about that and then stared back down at his feet. "I've been offered a job." He mumbled.

"From Wutai?" Vincent asked no sense of surprise in his voice. Cloud slowly shook his head and released his hands and cracked his knuckles. "From Shinra?" He asked again and watched Cloud nod.

"You know this has got to be finished, you know Shinra isn't using mako energy anymore."

"I know." Vincent answered, making Cloud glance up. "And Yuffie knows." Making Cloud frown at him a little more. "Only because she wants to get Wutai back to its former glory." Vincent said answering Cloud next question.

"You've tried speaking to her then?" Cloud asked not needed an actual answer from him. Cloud never bothered that much about the teen, but he still wouldn't want her to get hurt. "There's an old reactor there isn't there?" He watched as Vincent nodded his head once. "Rufus reckons if we blow it up, the terrorist group has got nothing left to base their claims on."

"Surely then they'll say they tried to get rid of any evidence." Vincent muttered answering the question too quickly for Cloud's liking while he leaned a little more forward .

"Then Rufus wants them silenced." Cloud finally answered looking up at Vincent knowing he didn't need to go into further detail.

"And why are you telling me this?" Vincent asked staring into the younger man's face.

"I took the job Vincent, I don't want either of you there to get hurt." Cloud looked up when he heard a small sigh of a laugh escape the man's lips.

"You don't want Yuffie to be hurt you mean." Cloud watched as Vincent got to his feet and Cloud made to follow him slamming the gill for the drinks down onto the table and following the older and taller man out of the building.

"What do you want me to do? Help you and this stupid bunch of terrorists who want to overthrow Shinra with just a stupid lie?" Cloud asked no longer caring if his voice was too loud as they walked out onto the street. "I've made my choice, I just don't want to hurt another friend."

Vincent watched Cloud swiftly cross the road and mount his bike. "Is this because of Tifa?" Vincent asked following the blonde. Cloud stopped and looked at him. _Was he actually doing this because of Tifa, because of what she'd asked?_

"A job's a job." He muttered, glancing away from the older man. In a matter of second he disappeared down through Edge.

Vincent quietly contemplated Cloud's words and knew the young man only wanted to help and finish this complete mess between Shinra and Wutai and in the process not to see any of his friends get hurt.

Turning the corner he made his way back through Edge and possibly find Yuffie and Tifa. He'd keep this meeting to himself and let Cloud do whatever he needs to do and just make sure there are no casualties and make Yuffie end this escapade that somehow she believes will win.


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: **okay, this isn't the longest chapter in the world, I think it's actually the shortest, so...sorry.... and also sorry for the incredible long wait...!!

Again special thanks to... **Sigbru, Kaarina Helvete, Sironblood1, Kattzia **and** MtReload **for reviewing on my last chapter!!

* * *

Tifa walked down towards the ruins of Midgar, the path to the church was still fresh in her mind. The sun was still high in the sky and the heat was at least tolerable. Cloud had rung her back and left a message of his own. She'd been surprised that he had done and thought he would never speak to her again. He'd only muttered a few words about they should meet up and speak, he said he'd be at her church the following day and if she wanted to speak to him she should show. And here she was, on her way to the ruined church.

The last time she had been to the church was after Cloud's horrific fight with Sephiroth in the same city. She could still remember those minutes of despair when everyone stood in shock not believing that Cloud Strife had just died a top one of the wrecked buildings that once stood proud. They could have possibly been the worst minutes in her life.

Slowly she pushed opened the double doors and stared into the church, she could still relive the memory in her mind as the blond had appeared in front of them in the pool of water. The church was full of memories, happy and painful memories. Yet Tifa, she only wanted it to remind her of that beautiful flower girl who willingly gave up everything for the planet. She tried to forget the fact that the same woman had now joined with the lifestream.

The sunlight streamed through the hole in the roof. The pews were still broken and the floorboards were starting to break. Yet the stained glass still stood strong in the windows like the flowers that began sprouting round the edges of the small pool of water. Their colours were of yellow and white and they seemed to remain in blossom throughout the year.

She walked over to the edge of the water and sat down besides it, slowly pulling off her black laced up shoes and then let her toes play in the cool water of the pool and sent ripples across it. Her legs were drawn close to her chest and she wrapped her arms round them. There was a gentle breeze flowing through the church and the flowers would surrender and sway in the breeze.

The double doors at the front of the church suddenly screeched open and she heard the sound of his heavy footfalls and the floorboards creaking under his weight. She didn't bother to turn round, knowing there was no one else who would come to the church besides him. "I started thinking you wouldn't show." Tifa said quietly with a smile on her face. She'd remembered Yuffie's painful but truthful words from the other day and kept them fresh in her mind.

The blond didn't answer and just carried on walking towards her. Tifa turned to him and watched him unzip his heavy black boots off and toss them to the side. She smiled softly as he pulled off his socks and threw them behind him before rolling up his trousers and dropping his legs into the cool water.

The two sat in the awkward silence and Tifa finally turned to him looking at the few scratches across his face and his bruised arm. "What have you been doing?" She asked quickly reaching for his arm and checking it for anything else; she looked up at him and saw the half surprised look on his face. She slowly released him and turned away. "Force of habit." She whispered, pursing her lips. She could count the times she'd verbally attacked him when he had walked in like a mess and having to check him over because he could never be bothered.

"The Midgar Zolom put in a show." He said, ignoring her last sentence he leaned forward and pulled off his gloves before diving his hands into the water to massage his aching feet. "You look well Tifa." He added quietly. "You wanted to meet up and talk, about what?"

Tifa watched him for a moment as he finally washed his hands in the water, she smiled slightly as he stretched his toes and sigh quietly to himself. "Why did you go?" She asked breaking the peaceful silence they were both in. She finally understood why the blond came here so often not only was it to be closer to Aerith but how peaceful and welcoming this place was. She decided she might as well ask him knowing they both knew the questions they wanted the answers to, but didn't know how to voice them.

Cloud stared down at the clear water in front of them both trying to work out what to say; he carried on flexing his feet subconsciously. "I was, hurt." He whispered. "I probably shouldn't have left, but I was angry, I didn't want to hurt you, that was all I was good at anyway, right?" He added with a small smile at the end, remembering the time she shouted that at him, in front of all her customers. He paused wondering if Tifa's new acquaintance Kenji Sawyer was in there being audience to what happened. He felt his blood boil, thinking if that was true, the man had decided to ignore Tifa's circumstances. "Is this all you wanted to talk about?" He added, Tifa turned to him, noting the arrogant tone in his voice.

"I was hurt too Cloud." She whispered, breaking him out of his deep thoughts and bringing him back to reality.

He didn't answer again, only briefly looked at her once, wondering if it was possible for her to be as hurt as he had been.

The awkward silence returned and Tifa turned away from him. "Why did you want to see me?" She asked, staring up through the hole in the roof that she remembered the blond had once fallen through. She stared at the sky, thinking how strange it was that once from this very same spot you couldn't see the sky.

"You said you wanted to meet up and speak." He repeated again. Tifa turned and looked to the blond, he'd drawn his leg up and leant forward on his knee. She turned away unsure that now he was here what to say to him. He sighed loudly and stared up at the sky himself."I promised to be there for you and I never was, I accept that." She sat quietly, unsure whether she should reach forward and embrace him and to tell him everything will be alright. But if she that did now, that would simply be a lie. "But I still know, I'm not to blame for what has happened." Tifa caught her breath at his words and looked up to face him, only a year ago she wished nothing more than to be with him, how times change.

"I'm sorry Cloud." She whispered, but could tell he wasn't listening anymore. He turned to face her and she locked eyes with him, she smiled sweetly at him admiring his creamy perfect skin and the few tiny freckles that remained stubbornly across his nose and under his eyes. She lifted her hand to his own and squeezed it tight, feeling the cold from his wet pale skin.

"Thank you." He muttered, letting go of her hand and scrambling to his feet.

"I'm with Kenji now." She said more to herself that she'd never be with the blond to her left, she quickly reached for her shoes, to start to get ready to leave.

Cloud stared at her for a moment wondering why she suddenly decided to tell him that. "Does he treat you alright?" Cloud asked, he might never be with her again, but he would never allow Tifa to be hurt again even if that meant ending the man's life he'd do it in a second. Tifa looked to him and smiled softly and nodded.

"He does."

"I guess, that's alright then." He said, attempting a smile which he knew would never come.

"What are you going to do now Cloud?" She asked, beginning to tie the laces to her shoes.

"I'm going away from here for a while." He said pulling his own legs out of the water and rolling the legs back down of his black trousers.

"Is it a job?" She asked, knowing full well the blond was working as a mercenary again. The blond nodded once as she watched him pull his boots on. "Where?"

"Wutai." He muttered, they were friends, he couldn't lie to her anymore.

"Right." She murmured, looking down the church unsure whether she should just leave or wait for him. "What for?"

"You asked me if there was something I could do, to calm the place down, so that's what I'm going to do." He said, turning and looking up at her. Tifa smiled once, not believing the blond would still do something for her after everything that has happened.

"Well be careful Cloud, we do still care about you." She said with a smile, he looked up at her and she could tell he didn't believe her from the cold look in his mako eyes.

"And you."

Tifa watched him turn and leave as if he was about to never to return. Had she hoped they would get back together again? She heard the roar of the engine to his bike and the fading sound as he drove away.

* * *

Slowly she closed the white washed door behind her and Tifa turned once more to look round the empty apartment.

She'd expected Kenji to be here and she looked round the perfect room for any sign of him. "Kenji?" She muttered.

"Where have you been?" His voice sounded harsh and cold, turning round she looked into the next room and saw him sat at his desk, his back to her. She frowned slightly at him before speaking.

"I went out." She replied, leaning against the wall while watching him. "I'm still allowed to do that, aren't I?" She added with a laugh, hoping he saw the joke in it.

"I asked you where?" He snapped turning round to face her, his eyes boring into hers.

"You don't need to know where I go every minute of the day!" She snapped back, turning round and leaving him alone. She felt his arm latch onto hers and turn her round sharply to face him.

"_Where _did you go?" He asked again, his eyes narrowing with every word he said.

Tifa glared back up to him once more before sighing heavily. "I went to see a friend, is that alright?" She snapped, tugging her arm out of his grip and then turning to leave him once again.

She'd barely heard him creep up behind her and he grabbed her arm again and twisted her round with such force that if it wasn't for his grip on her arm she would have fell. "Who?" Tifa stared at him wondering what had possessed him to interrogate her.

"Alright, I went to speak to Cloud." She answered rolling her eyes. She attempted to tug her arm free but his grip tightened. "What's wrong with that?!"

"Talk about what?" He asked angrily.

"What is your problem today, Kenji?" She shouted, attempting again to break free. "Kenji, let go!" She cried looking up at the dark haired man.

"Talk about what?!" He barked again, shaking her slightly as if she would spill out the answer he wanted.

"Alright, we just apologised and that was it, nothing else!" She sighed, waiting for him to let go. "Will you let go now?" She ordered, shaking his arm herself.

"How dare you turn on my back and go to him!" Tifa frowned at him and again began to wonder what had happened to make him react like that.

"Let me go." She snarled, clenching her fist, prepared to strike him down if he didn't.

Seeing he didn't comply she raised her fist and struck him hard in the face and he instantly let go of her. Tifa watched his hands rise to his face and turn his back on her, while her own hands was firmly wrapped round where he had held such a firm grip on her.

Kenji turned back round, removing his hands from his face. Tifa stared at the red mark across his cheek bone which already looked like it was about to bruise.

He stalked towards her, his lips curled into a snarl. The brunette slowly backed away from the oncoming man, until her back hit the wall.

He grabbed her by the shoulders and lowered his face into hers. She locked her eyes with him, not allowing him to know that she was scared of him. He finally let go of her pushing her against the wall as he did so. Kenji turned round and Tifa allowed herself to breathe scared that a single sound may cause the man to turn on her again.

Kenji turned and stared at her and before she knew it, she could feel the stinging feeling from his hand as he struck her across the face. She turned away from him and covered the stinging skin with her hand before turning and looking at him, she opened her mouth to speak but couldn't form the words.

She'd willingly attack this man herself and throw him across the room, but her hand instinctively went to the small bump and she feared for the growing child's life in case something happened.

His hands grabbed her by the shoulders again and she flinched from surprise. "Don't you ever go to see him again, don't you ever leave this place without me, you hear?!" He shouted, Tifa didn't bother to answer, knowing it wasn't a question but an order.

He turned back around and walked out of the apartment leaving Tifa trembling against the wall as she stared at the white washed door from where he left.


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: **Firstly thanks to **City-of-Dimes****, ****xOx-Just-Like-Yesterday-xOx****, ****Kaishin Briefs****, ****Sigbru****, ****MtReload****, ****Sironblood1****, ****Kaarina Helvete**and**GossipGirlxoXo**for all reviewing on my last chapter and to all the people who favourite'd and subscribed to this story (I can't remember who did!! So I am sorry) Also sorry if I never replied to some of you personally, the last month I've been revising for a Biology Exam, but that's done now!!

Again sorry I've taken a whole month to get this up. I really didn't like the last chapter, so I might go back and edit it sometime, so I've taken ages with this chapter to get it the best I could.

Thanks for sticking with this story everyone and without further ado, here's Chapter 10.

* * *

The clouds passed by quickly, they'd turned a dark heavy black with rain threatening to fall on the city below, which was starting to fade from view. The urge to throw open the doors and feel the fresh wind blow across his face had been suppressed and pushed back to the corner of his mind.

The sky above the clouds was a clear perfect blue like the kind you would see at Costa del Sol while you're lazing on the beach. Everything about this single moment, felt fresh and peaceful, something he felt like he'd long forgotten.

Cloud Strife lent back in the surprisingly comfy helicopter chair. The sound of the two rotors of the helicopter was starting to attack his head, starting a dull headache occurring at the back of his head. He rubbed his neck, feeling the knots of muscle crack and escape from the pressure of his fingers. He'd long decided he wasn't a fan of flying, after the incident with Cid's Tiny Bronco. The thought brought a smile to his lips, remembering his friends strapped to the wings of the small plane.

_Was it really just over two years ago since all that happened?_

He'd suddenly become totally oblivious of the two other people in the plane. One the pilot and the other his co-pilot. And of all the people in on the Planet they could be they were Tseng and Elena. He guessed it could have been a lot worse; he may have landed in the company of the arrogant red headed Turk Reno and his silent partner Rude. Cloud never really had much of a problem with Rude, when putting their past behind him, it was just that when thinking of Rude he was always associated with Reno.

"Holding up alright?" Cloud blinked back into reality and looked up and locked eyes with Elena's azure ones. He didn't give her an answer and she turned back round grumbling to herself. "Of course I remember you're not the social type!" She snapped mainly to herself. Cloud smirked once wondering how she could say that seeing her boss who was to her right also fell into her new made category of the 'not social types.' He watched her glance to the dark haired Turk Tseng who remained silent, his face blank and solemn like he'd just returned from a funeral. The blond Turk sighed in annoyance, and heard the squeak of leather as she leant back into the chair.

Cloud hadn't been surprised that he was going to be accompanied by a Turk or two as it was. He didn't believe for a second Rufus Shinra would let him off by himself and assume that this job would be done. In the end Elena had kindly informed him that the President didn't trust him to do it alone, therefore he can act as backup for herself and Tseng in case anything came along, that was if he still wanted his Gil. Elena had also added that she and Tseng could blow up an old reactor themselves without the help of a mercenary and the President wouldn't have to pay someone to simply tag along. Tseng had quickly silenced her and the three had soon taken off.

Cloud rolled his eyes remembering Elena almost talking to herself and knew if this thing went smoothly he'd be surprised. Nothing ever went easy, when Shinra was involved. He glanced out of the window and at the white clouds as they drifted in between the clouds and below them, occasionally catching glances of the land below them. At seeing the huge distance below them, he sunk back into his chair, frowning at himself, for being scared of flying of all things.

He'd remembered thinking once, after receiving a brutal 'talking too' from Cid that he should at least know how to fly properly and then maybe the foul mouthed pilot could have been left behind at Rocket Town. He quickly scolded himself for the thought knowing without the very same blond foul mouthed pilot they properly would have never been able to do what they had.

_He's alright. _Cloud thought to himself, trying desperately to pass the time, even if he had to think about his friends who had most likely abandoned him. At the thought, he flipped his phone open and stared at the blank screen hoping he might have had a message from Tifa, even just wishing him good luck.

He'd never really realised how much he depended on the martial artist, he didn't have to ask for help because she always gave it anyway. But she's happy now, he's sure of it and in the end that's the only thing he would ever want for her. _She deserves better. _He nodded to himself, agreeing with his thought. Not bothering if Elena could see him in her mirror and see him nodding and frowning to himself. He was pretty sure they already had decided he was walking on the edge of his sanity and had no patience what so ever.

* * *

The three had landed at a temporary Shinra army base in Wutai, but far away from the main city. The rebel base had been apparently found out of the city and Shinra had quickly built up a Shinra base, it only being a house they had found and quickly built to their needs. It seemed a totally desolate area, like no one besides the Shinra army had walked there in one hundred years. The building looked old and rickety like it might collapse in a single minute. There were some taupe coloured tents scattered around the building, each one marked whether it was a first aid tent to some Chocobo stables. A chain link fence had been put up round the surrounding area and there were a few soldiers finishing it off or even repairing it.

Cloud lent against the cool metal of the black truck the three of them were to travel in to the abandoned mako reactor. He'd been mainly surprised that there had been a reactor built in the Wutai area and guessed it might have been allowed to try and make peace for the time being on Wutai's side. Some help that had been. Then again, he wouldn't put it past Shinra to storm into the country and build whatever they liked.

He watched the dark haired leader of the Turks speaking to one of the commanding officers, they were both staring off in the distance making Cloud assume Tseng was checking or maybe even getting directions to where this mako reactor is. The commanding officer was pointing off in the distance and occasionally looking down at a map. He sighed and rolled his eyes, ready to walk over and find out for himself where this reactor is.

"Don't think we're always like this!" Cloud turned and was met by Elena's pale face. He watched her load a trunk into the back of the open topped truck. She slowly got back down and dusted off her black suit and smartened up her tie while glaring at him from underneath her blonde bangs. She flicked her hair back from her face and held her head up high before sighing once with satisfaction.

"That Turks have to ask for directions?" He muttered, pulling on the brown leather belt across his chest which held his sword on his back. He watched Elena eye the sword across his back before opening her mouth to speak.

"Yes!" She snapped staring at him. "Wait, no!" Cloud sighed at her, obviously she'd confused herself. "Like I said we're not like this normally, we don't know our way round here and I bet neither do you!" The blonde Turk turned and leant against the truck besides the young man next to her. She held her head up high as the few soldiers walked past glaring at her in disgust, for simply being a Turk.

Cloud loathed the Turks himself as he watched the young men, younger than him in fact walked past. But had some little respect inside for them. To do what they do took something more than bravery and dedication, to almost turn their backs on their families who most certainly hate them for what they do took a whole lot of courage. Something he himself could never do.

They both looked up in unison as they saw Tseng walking back to them, his black hair shining in the Wutai sun. "Its south of here." He muttered pointing slightly in the direction they were supposed to be going before hoisting himself into the driver's seat, with Elena following him in the passenger seat, leaving Cloud to the back seat.

The dry dust of the barren area they were in was thrown from the tyres, as they made their way to the exit of the fenced off area.

Cloud stared at the now open area as they left the army base, wondering if Yuffie was around here somewhere maybe even watching them as they drove away. He doubted it, hoping Vincent had got himself and the Wutain teen out of this whole area. Yuffie was a stubborn girl and if she wanted something he knew she'd fight to get it, but hoped Vincent might have some sway over the girl's decisions, remembering Tifa saying once she thought Yuffie had a soft spot for the certain red cloaked man. The thought of the self proclaimed 'greatest ninja' had finally succumbed to something or in this case someone, but forgetting her obsession with Materia all together, brought a smile to his face.

Suddenly the thought of Tifa hit his mind, he'd thought about her so casually just then.

He'd tried his best to not think about her. He was sure he no longer had feelings for her, but sometimes it was hard to forget the feelings he once had for her. _What was it, four months now since he'd left her? _And had only seen her twice in that time. If he'd said to himself two years ago, that at one point in his life he'd only see Tifa Lockheart twice in four months he wouldn't have believed it.

He'd been sure they had made such a strong friendship that nothing could shatter it, but now he was sure that had never been so. They were friends now though.

_Weren't they? _

He rubbed his temples in annoyance, trying to stop his headache from returning. He'd deal with everything once this had been all ironed out, putting all his current thoughts away in the corner of his mind.

The truck suddenly crashed through a set of fenced gates and then skidded to a stop. Cloud looked up surprised they had arrived already, he decided Tseng had to be a fast driver. The mako reactor had a fence running round it, which had now turned rusty and had holes where the chain link fence had been cut, most likely by the Wutai rebels to see the place for themselves. There was a gentle but cold wind blowing, most likely from the sea sending chills up and down Cloud's spine as they eventually came to halt in front of the reactor.

The three crawled out of the truck and Elena made her way to the back of the truck and dived into the trunk she had loaded herself earlier. He watched her for a moment load everything she needed to complete the bomb that would demolish the old reactor before them.

Cloud stared at the rusted reactor; there was no trace of mako being pumped into the air like in Midgar only two years ago. But felt the same feeling of being near one of the reactors in Midgar when it pumped out the Planet's life source. Deciding it must be his heightened senses that were picking up the old traces of mako that must still litter the place. He stared at the rusted metal for a moment and at the few bullet holes that had dinted the side, where obviously the Wutai rebels had released their exasperation.

"Come on." Tseng spoke suddenly, he began walking ahead of them, and Elena brushed past the other man following her boss to the entrance to the reactor. Tseng quickly entered the old security code to the building and the door slid open, with a few screeches from neglected use. He looked over his shoulder to check the two others were following. He watched the blond walk up the few steps and then followed them inside; he saw the man's mako glowing eyes dart around the inside as if expecting something to fall out on them. "Let's get going." He saw Elena nod in agreement.

Tseng reached the first rusty ladder and Cloud watched him test it, making sure it could take his weight. He stopped himself from volunteering to go first, knowing if it took his weight it would take the others. Instead he stood by and watched Elena peek over the edge before glaring at him and following her boss down.

The metal rung as he jumped off from the final three steps, he wrinkled his nose against the stale smell inside the reactor. He'd barely noticed it before but now he was even a little away from the open door the smell rushed through and attacked him, it dried his throat and made him choke once as he tried to breathe in clear air. Elena and Tseng were both ahead of him, but their footsteps rung loud through the reactor.

Suddenly he heard another chime of metal against metal and Cloud instantly spun round his hand on the hilt of his sword. He stood as quite as he could, straining his ears to make sure he'd defiantly heard something, he glanced over his shoulder once and saw both Turks had drawn their own guns and turning on their heels. "What is it?" Muttered Tseng, taking a step closer to the blond young man.

The three remained silent and in turn nothing could be heard throughout the reactor. "Thought I heard something." Cloud muttered, releasing his grip on the hilt of his sword. He heard the annoyed grunt from Tseng followed by the sound of his footsteps as he headed towards the lift. Cloud stood silent one single time, sure he'd heard something before deciding to push it to the back of his mind but remain vigilant.

He finally followed the two Turks into the rusted lift; the doors screeched close and the lights above them flickered on and off. "You sure you heard something?" Tseng asked, knowing not to doubt Cloud hearing. He watched the blond nod and looked briefly at him. "I wouldn't be surprised if we're being followed." Tseng began, bringing his gun out and turning to Elena who did the same. "I've expected it."

Cloud nodded in agreement, knowing the Wutai rebels are probably keeping a close eye on this place, seeing as this is the last place they can keep their rebellion on. "Plan?" Elena muttered, heaving the backpack on her back.

"We set the bomb; the rebels would have shown themselves by then." Tseng finally added. The doors of the lift screeched open once more and the three were met with a pitch black room. Elena quickly brought out a torch and shined it through the room. They all stepped out and spotted a door at the end of the room.

Tseng stepped forward and stared at the door and its combination pad at the side. He quickly pulled a lever down and cracks of electricity erupted through the room and lights slowly began flickering on. Cloud eyed the man, as he punched in another code. He could feel something numbing against his mind, like someone was speaking but he'd blanked them out but could still hear the mumbling of their voice.

The door slid open and they were met by a metal bridge, looking over the edge it was completely black almost like it was never ending. "We'll set it here." Tseng muttered, glancing once round the now lit up room. Elena nodded and walked across the bridge and stopped by another room and began placing the bomb together. Cloud watched her, before turning and looking round the room. The evidence of misuse in this room was nil.

The lights didn't flicker like the others from before, the light was an eerie blue and lit up the entire room giving the whole room a strange blue look. The walls and bridge had no sign of rust, like it had been maintained. No dust had settled either anywhere like everywhere else in the reactor.

Cloud turned to Tseng and saw his dark eyes were on him, watching his every move. Cloud frowned at him once before crossing the bridge and stood behind Elena. "I can do this myself!" She snapped, but Cloud paid her no notice, he was too busy staring at the door in front of him. He forced back the reoccurring memories of another mako reactor he'd rather forget.

Everything about this room gave no hint that it had been abandoned. "Shouldn't we set the bomb up in the main reactor room, so we know it's in the centre of the building?" Cloud muttered, wanting to hear the reaction he needed to confirm his beliefs.

"This place is suitable, it will do." Answered Tseng, too fast for Cloud's liking, like it had been rehearsed, like Tseng knew this question was coming.

"Open this door." Cloud grunted. Not getting a reaction he kicked Elena softly in her side just to get a reaction, he glared down at her and she glared back. "I said open this door." He watched Elena turn to Tseng and he sighed. He grabbed his sword and allowed the familiar blue energy charge up and down it before slashing at the door, the door exploded in front of him and he covered his eyes from the dust in the air before glancing up into the room.

The green light of mako filled the room and its force rushed past him. "Shinra's still producing mako?!" He shouted angrily, he spun round and was met with the barrel of Tseng's gun. Cloud glared at the man, he should have known. "This is why Rufus sent you." He growled, watching Elena continue setting the bomb. He tightened his grip round his sword, ready to knock the man back and stop the blonde Turk.

"Don't. Drop it." Tseng muttered. "I will shoot if I have to." Cloud relaxed his grip round his sword and let it clatter to the ground before staring at the head if the Turks. "Hurry it up Elena."

"You can't do this." Cloud answered, he couldn't allow them to blow this place up. He stared at the other man. He didn't doubt the man's skill with firearms and knew he could easily knock him to the side, but by the time he'd reach Elena the man could easily let off a bullet to his head. Something he didn't intend or else this place will go by unnoticed like it has been.

"Okay." Elena answered, getting to her feet and watching the bomb begin to tick. "We've got twenty minutes to get out of here and a few miles away from this place."

Tseng nodded once still not taking his eyes off of the other in front of him. "Let's go."

A muffled cry filled the room and Tseng turned quickly, allowing the blond to grab his sword. "Lower your weapons or I'll shoot!" The two men stared at the Wutai Rebels before them. The two dropped their weapons in unison allowing them to clash against the floor. One had grabbed Elena, holding a gun to her head with others behind him. Their clothes looked simple enough, nothing out of the ordinary or Wutai custom. Black bands tied across their foreheads and rifles slung over their shoulders. Their hair was dark, almost black and their skin pale proving they were the Wutai Rebels.

Cloud mentally hit himself, why the hell hadn't he heard them? He instantly thought back to Yuffie remembering the times she easily crept up on him with her proclaimed 'ninja skills'. "You." Muttered another pointing with his gun to Tseng. "Diffuse this." He muttered again nodding his head at the bomb on the floor.

Cloud watched Tseng walk forward, expecting the man to suddenly leap on the men and unleash a number of punches but nothing came. Maybe he did care for Elena but never let off, maybe he feared for her safety.

He watched the head of the Turk's diffuse the bomb and hand it over to one of the rebels. The obvious proclaimed leader of the group of rebels nodded once more and five young men ran forward grabbing the two men's weapons before running back. The blond frowned, hating to admit seeing his own sword in others hands.

Elena was suddenly pushed forward and she spun round catching herself before she fell. Tseng grabbed her and pulled her to her feet his hands round her shoulders."Ready." Five more rebels strode forwards and raised their rifles. Cloud heard the small gasp from Elena before she stood up straight, raising her chin defiantly. "Aim." Cloud, Tseng and Elena watched the five young men hold their weapons, the almost shook in their hands showing none of these men had military background. "Fire."


	11. Chapter 11

Special thanks to both **Kaarina Helvete**and **Sigbru **for reviewing!!

I really do hate this chapter, and I've been at it for ages and I can't seem to make it any better or longer for the matter, so I thought what the hell, so here it is! No Tifa again, but she will be in the next one!

* * *

Elena shuts her eyes tight, waiting for the inevitable. "Wait!" She slowly opened one eye to see who had shouted and she felt Tseng drop his hands from her shoulders. In front of the five shooters stood a woman, her arms spread out stopping the Rebels from shooting. The woman was not at all tall, far from it; her hair was dark and short cut above her shoulders. Elena could make out the black band that most likely went across her forehead, judging from the two loose strips that hung at the back. Her shorts were incredibly short, making Elena frown, she had a thing with women showing far too much of their body than needs be. The woman slowly turned only for Elena to realise it wasn't a young woman, but the incredibly annoying teenage ninja who she had unfortunately crossed paths with before.

Yuffie's eyes were filled with anger, her hands clenched into fists while her arms shook with fury. "You!" She snarled so loud it made everyone wince. "How could you?!" Yuffie cried again stomping forwards, her feet slamming into the metal of the floor below them much like a five year old that had been refused of their favourite toy. Cloud turned briefly to Tseng and Elena who were both looking at him. "Look at me when I'm talking to you?!" The blond turned back around and frowned at her. If they were anywhere else he would shout at the girl for talking to him like that. But seeing as they weren't he decided to keep his mouth shut.

"I can't believe this!" Yuffie cried, again staring at the young man she had defended for a time while Tifa had spoke so harshly against him. But here he was "fraternising with the enemy!" She cried, thinking aloud. She waved her arms up in the air, almost jumping on the spot, desperately trying to get rid of the anger that was wracking her frame.

Cloud rolled his eyes, knowing he should know better that Yuffie would jump to the simplest conclusion. "Yuffie, it's not what..."

"Shut up!" She snapped loudly, pointing her finger at him threateningly. "Just be grateful I saved your life, for what it's worth." Cloud looked away from her briefly and at the crowd of rebels at the back, hoping Vincent might be there somewhere. But the red cloaked man couldn't be seen.

He'd barely noticed Yuffie disappear into the same crowd and the five men from earlier creep forward. He watched them through his cold mako eyes as they reached for Elena, he saw the quick glance she gave to Tseng who merely shook his head before he too was grabbed and pushed forward.

Cloud restrained himself from grabbing the man who pushed him forward to follow the crowd out of the main reactor room. He watched Yuffie head the group and to his horror stood the red cloaked man. The blond growled quietly to himself, catching the attention of the few rebels who simply pushed him forward again. How could Vincent possibly allow this to happen? Deciding he knew the man better, Vincent must already have a plan forming in his head. He'd expect nothing less of the ex-Turk, who seemed to be trying to calm the teen down who was currently ranting and raving at anyone who was near her.

The walk out of the reactor was surprisingly short; a few rebels had remained in the main reactor room, obviously trying to somehow collect evidence to prove to the world that Shinra had been deceiving them all. "They must have been waiting for someone to arrive." Cloud turned and looked to the dark haired man besides him. Tseng stood a little taller than him; his eyes were fixed forward a solemn look on his face. "They must have been watching this place for a while, waiting for someone to open the doors and just let them walk inside." Tseng muttered through gritted teeth, he shook his head and dropped it down. The disappointment and frustration with himself shone through. "How could I have been so stupid?" Cloud looked away, unsure what words of comfort he should give the man that is if he should even give him any.

The sunlight from outside shone brightly and made the three and all the Wutai rebels wince from its bright light before slowly adjusting.

There were a few trucks parked outside and the one they had come in had already been commandeered. Falling back into reality, Cloud watched Elena scramble onto the back of the truck before a black bag was forced over her head tight. He watched them as they tied her hands behind her back and then they quickly followed suit with Tseng.

Soon Cloud himself was sat in total and utter darkness. The sound of the truck's engines starting up filled his ears and he sighed quietly to himself, not being able to believe the mess he had gotten himself into. The truck jolted and he felt the person sitting beside him, guessing it was Elena fall onto his side. He roughly tried to prop her up with his own shoulder and received a muffled reply. He felt the rope that bound his wrists together starting to burn against his pale skin, and he attempted at shuffling his feet only to find the rope rub against his legs. He sighed loudly and let his back rest against the metal of the truck.

"I can't believe this." His ears pricked up at the voice and he felt a hand clamp onto the top of the black bag on his head before pulling off, he winced slightly as felt a few hairs following the bag away from his head. Cloud blinked once allowing his eyes to adjust to the sudden change of light. He briefly looked out and saw the Reactor was already beginning to disappear from sight along with the sun already beginning to set. He turned back to face whoever was speaking to him and was met by the harsh glare of the teen ninja. "How could you?"

Cloud opened his mouth to explain, only to be cut off knowing he should know better. "Vincent's even trying to get you out of this!" To hear Vincent was at least trying to do something, settled a nerve in Cloud's mind. That the red caped man wasn't against him. "I know what this is all about?"

The blond briefly looked up and saw that both the bagged Turks were facing in his direction like they could actually see him. He looked once at Yuffie who was also leaning against the warm metal of the truck. He legs were crossed along with her arms being crossed across her chest. She had a look of triumph on her face and glanced at him once before turning away. Cloud had learnt a long time ago, that no matter if he asked what the girl was on about or not she'd still tell him. This in his mind, he kept silent and waited for her to gush out with her opinion on the subject.

Shuffling in his seat, he closed his eyes wishing for Yuffie to shove the bag back over his head. He didn't mind the teen, she was a good help when she wanted to be, but sometimes she posed to be a complete and utter nuisance and he had to waste more time on her than what was needed.

"You're sore about losing Tifa aren't you?" He slowly cracked open one eye and saw the girl had unfolded herself and was leaning towards him, her eyes narrowed and a smirk playing with the corner of her lips. "And you're trying to get back at her by doing this aren't you?"

Closing his eye again and sighing to himself he ignores the ninja and marvelled at how Vincent Valentine was able to put up with the girl for such long periods of time alone. "I'm talking to you!" He heard her snap and followed by a punch to his arm, not hard enough to hurt.

He straightened himself upright and decided to face her. "Whatever you want, Yuffie."

Yuffie glared at the blond before her and stared at the black bag besides her, wanting to shut the man and his pale face away from her. "Soldier!" Yuffie jumped at the sudden word and looked to the Wutain man at the end of the truck who was glancing from Cloud to her. "He's a Soldier!" He repeated, frowning at Yuffie for not telling him earlier.

The dark haired teen turned and looked to the accused man before her. She saw the deep frown form on his brow and wondered for a minute if the brand had hurt him in any way. What did she care? At that thought she turned away from him and looked back to the Wutain man who was deep in conversation with another Wutain man who only seemed partially interested in what the other had to say.

"Are you telling them?" Yuffie turned and looked to Cloud, wondering if he was angry or worried at being named a Soldier. She glared at him again, unable to see any sign of emotion on his face.

"Why, so they know you're either a traitor or a failure?" Yuffie smirked once and fell back into the truck. She silently wished she hadn't said what she had and she looked up at the man, whose eyes had fell to the floor of the truck and was obviously recovering memories from many other times he'd been branded a failure. She bit her lip wondering if she should apologise, then found her resolve not to.

* * *

Elena breathed in a sigh of half relief as the black bag was finally removed from her head. Instead she was met with cold grey walls, the stone was crumbling and she carefully ran her fingers across the stone before rubbing the stone residue across her fingertips. The heavy door at the end shut with a loud slam and it echoed through the tiny room. There were four mattresses strewn across the floor, each one stained but what with she'd rather not know.

There were no windows and the only light was coming from the small window on the door which had bars running through it.

She turned to Tseng who was leaning against the wall, his hands behind his back. His normally dark straight black hair that was always bound half up was left messy and the shorter stands now fell into his eyes. At this Elena subconsciously ran her callused fingers through her short blonde hair and tugged the knots free.

On the floor sitting on one of the mattresses was the other young man. Cloud had his knees drawn close to him and his elbows resting on them. His face was blank and his eerie glowing blue eyes had become more prominent in the darkened room. "What do you suppose they'll do?" Elena quietly asked. This was a question she wouldn't normally ask being in the presence of more than just Tseng and herself, but judging to conditions she no longer cared what the blond young man thought of them. She was pretty sure he'd made his mind up about the Turks a long time ago.

She turned to Tseng who rubbing his face obviously deep in thought. No getting a reply, Elena followed the wall down and sat quietly down and draws her knees close to herself.

"Alert Shinra." She glanced up surprised the other had spoken. Cloud was facing her then quickly looked to the door and the surrounding walls. Elena nodded in reply.

"Tseng." She muttered waiting a few seconds for the man's certain attention; he eventually looked up, his dark eyes focussing on her. "It'll be alright." She smiled slightly, unsure why she said it, but felt like it needed to be said. "They're just a bunch of wannabe Terrorists, what can they do?" She heard the muffled short laugh of Tseng and he smiled once at her.

"I'm sure you're right Elena."


	12. Chapter 12

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Thanks to **Kaarina Helvete **and** Sigbru** for reviewing AGAIN!! Thank you ^^.

This chapter isn't too great for me anyways. I've actually just finished writing chapter 14 and I've been delaying myself for putting this one up but here we go!

* * *

The windows were open fully and an eastern breeze was gushing its way through the open windows and blowing the satin white curtains apart. There were a few clouds in the bright azure sky that occasionally broke the sun's strong rays. The city below was busy as usual; the sound of cars and people talking below in the streets filled the room, even though the apartment was on the fifteenth floor.

Tifa Lockheart was relaxing on the cream couch, one arm was propping her head up against the arm rest behind her, while the other hung off of the couch her fingertips gripping onto the top of a crystal glass. She was fighting to keep her eyes open even though it was the middle of the day. She frowned at herself and shifted her weight on the couch and flexed her toes.

She stared out of the open window, thankful that the apartment was higher than some buildings in Edge and the same buildings didn't block her view.

She slowly lowered the glass in her left hand to the floor and then placed it back onto her 'bump' which she was sure hadn't grown in a while. She absentmindedly began humming to herself, still gazing out of the window. It was so surprising how peaceful it was, even though she knew she was in the centre of town.

Her phone suddenly began to ring and she jumped from its sudden loud tone. Uncurling her right arm she reached for her phone which she knew was on the small side table besides the couch. Grabbing the phone she flipped it open and pressed it to her ear.

"Hello?" She muttered, she quickly looked at the screen to see if it said who it was and rolled her eyes at reading the name. "No Yuffie, I didn't see you on the news." She sighed, relaxing back into the leather couch and stared up at the white ceiling.

"You won't believe this Tifa!" Began the obviously over excited teen on the other side of the phone. Tifa could practically picture her there jumping on the spot while talking down the phone.

Tifa hummed once in reply, not bothering to try and guess what Yuffie could be on about.

"Chocobo head has only gone and teamed up with Shinra!" Tifa frowned at the reply and wished the other young woman was in the same room as her now.

She hardly doubted Cloud would do that sort of thing. If there was anyone who despised Shinra for everything it stood for more than Barret she would guess Cloud. "You actually think Cloud would 'team up' with Shinra?" Tifa waited for her reply, knowing Yuffie probably formed how the conversation would go a long time ago.

"Would I lie to you Teef?" There was a long awkward silence Tifa decided not to fill, allowing Yuffie to answer her own question. "That was one time, and it was ages ago!" Tifa smirked guessing the girl was referring to how their materia had somehow gotten conveniently 'lost' at the same time she ran off.

"Anyways, he was here to blow up this old reactor right, and they're still pumping mako out of the planet, would you believe it, and he was with those two Turks setting a bomb and I jumped in and attacked them all single handed..."

Tifa drifted off out of the conversation, allowing Yuffie to continue her story at how she'd taken out Cloud and two Turks. Did Cloud know that Shinra were still pumping mako? She hardly doubted it. She couldn't imagine him doing a cover-up mission for them, after everything that's happened. Yuffie seriously must have jumped to conclusions. Also she hoped Yuffie had known Cloud a little more than that and should have realised. Wasn't Vincent with her anyway?

"Personally I think he's just sore about losing you, and is trying to get back at us by doing this..."

Tifa had slowly drifted back into the conversation, able to catch those few words from the teen. "Hang on Yuffie!" She managed to cry. She shifted her weight and propped herself up against the back of the couch and rested her elbows on her knees. The ninja had fallen silent for a single moment and Tifa quickly took the opening. "I don't think you understand everything, you must have missed something."

"Well you weren't there, he didn't even try and explain himself, and he just sat there looking all angst-like as usual, like the world was about to end..."

Tifa drifted out again, trying to form some sort of argument for the blond man. "Where is he now, when was this?"

"He's around with those Turk's, it was about a few days ago, I don't know, anyways, like I was saying..."

The brunette frowned and massaged her temples; having a two sided conversation with Yuffie was harder than even trying to have a conversation with Cloud or Vincent.

"_You asked me if there was something I could do, to calm the place down, so that's what I'm going to do."_

Cloud's word's suddenly filled her head and she paused mulling them over. Is this what he was going to do? Blow up a Reactor? If he did, there would be no evidence for the Wutai Rebel's to base their argument on, surely?

Tifa ran her fingers through her long dark hair before scratching her neck vigorously, like there was something gnawing away at her neck.

This was all her fault. She was so sure. If she hadn't asked him to try and 'calm things down' he'd be safe and sound. God, everything had to be her fault. If none of this happened, they would probably be sitting in the Seventh Heaven right now. Herself working behind the bar, while Cloud was sat at the corner marking out routes for his next deliveries. Not locked up in some random place in Wutai!

"Tifa, Tifa! Are you even listening to me?!"

Tifa jumped at Yuffie's suddenly screeching voice and she sat up straight. She glanced round the room, as if there would be the answer sitting right in front of her that could solve everything. "Yuffie, I asked Cloud if he could do something, to try and sort everything out, I didn't want you to get hurt!"

"Come on Tifa, don't blame yourself for this, why are you trying to get him out of this?"

"Me and Cloud, we're alright now. You must have missed something, just go speak to him!" Pleaded Tifa, wishing for everything to go back to how it was. Maybe if she hadn't even found him those years ago in Midgar lying at the train station, his life might not be so messed up.

"Look I have to go Teef."

The phone went dead and Tifa stared at it like she might suddenly hear Yuffie's voice, saying it was all a joke and Cloud was with her laughing his head off, even if that was out of character.

She heard the door open behind her and she twisted round. She watched Kenji walk in, his normal swept back hair had slowly come loose and was beginning to fall in his eyes. He was loosening his tie and pulled it off in one swift motion. He looked up at her and gave her his brightest smile which she couldn't help but return. "Kenji..." She slowly began. She wasn't sure what his reaction might be, about her worrying about Cloud's safety, after what had happened last time when she's said they'd met up.

"You won't believe what's happened." Tifa smiled slightly, allowing Kenji to continue, hoping he might have the same news as Yuffie. She watched him disappear into the kitchen and return with a glass in his hand. He dropped onto the couch beside her and wrapped an arm round her. Tifa stiffened at his touch, but didn't say anything waiting for him to continue.

"Wutai's just got a little bolder." He began, sipping once at his glass and then glancing once at the brunette beauty besides him. "They're making demands, saying Rufus has to end his company and hand himself into the Wutai Rebels."

"Why?" She muttered, guessing what the repercussion might be, but desperately wanted to hear another.

"They've caught three of Shinra's employees, two are Turks, and I'm not sure about the other." She watched him take a strong gulp of whatever he was drinking again. "Or they'll shoot one of them within the week."

The image of Cloud standing there ready to be shot ran through her mind. "They can't be serious?!" She spluttered, knowing Rufus would never hand himself in, even if it meant all of his employees were shot. She watched Kenji nod and he relaxed into the chair and closed his eyes. "What is he going to do?"

Kenji shrugged, his eyes still closed. "I've got nothing to do with it. Rufus says he's letting the Turk's deal with it. I think he said their head is one of them captive, so I guess it's been passed down."

Tseng caught? Tifa had found it hard to believe that Cloud had been caught at first, but Tseng as well. She slowly guessed the other had to be Elena. Reno and Rude went everywhere and assumed this was no exception.

Leaving this in the hands of Rude didn't sound so bad, but leaving in the hands of the reckless red headed Turk sounded more daunting.

* * *

Elena picked at the dirt under her nails, she stared at the black dust and flicked it out and watched it disappear. The idea of burying her way out had long been forgotten, after realising how stupid she must have looked in front of the two men, the small mark in the wall behind her was the evidence of her desperate escape plan.

She tugged at the collar of her white shirt, which now was no longer white. The heat had become unbearable and she'd long removed her black suit jacket which she was now sitting on. As the stained mattress didn't seem appealing.

She ran her fingers through her blonde hair and felt the grease from not being able to have a wash in the last few days build up. She could feel her hunger pains stabbing at her stomach but refused to let a whimper or whine escape her lips. She is a Turk after all.

Elena turned to Tseng who was leaning against the wall. She was sure he'd barely moved since they got in here. Which was she guessed maybe a day or two, she couldn't be sure. He'd moved once to remove his jacket but since he was just standing there. He hadn't even moved when they had been given the blunt news.

Not a single emotion had crossed his face; he probably knew it was coming. Deep down even Elena expected it to come, but somehow she didn't want it to invade her mind and prey on her thoughts. That every time the door opened at the end of their new home to bring a little food or even some water, that next time it might be for one of them to be taken away.

She couldn't imagine Rufus Shinra to hand himself in for their lives. They were supposed to protect him not the other way round. So since they'd been given the news she had resigned herself to the fact that this might be the last place she sees.

Unless one of them had a sudden brain wave and had a brilliant idea to get them out. She still couldn't understand why the blond man before her couldn't break down the door somehow and simply stride out. He'd managed it times before why not now? At the thought she looked at the other young man and glared at him once.

The lack of conversation was beginning to nub her mind and she closed her eyes and rubbed at her temples. Neither men had moved an inch and had not said barely a single word. Besides "I'm not hungry" and "I'm going to sleep."

She hated how Cloud could go without food for long periods of time and just sit there. She desperately wanted to grab something and try and knock some sense into the man. She'd heard the conversation he had had with that brat in the truck coming here. She never expected Cloud would end up with that Tifa. In all honest it never crossed her mind, but now she was sat her with time to spend she'd found herself thinking about these sort of things.

Elena looked to Tseng and bit her lip before turning away. She wasn't sure what she felt for her boss. She'd always thought he was closer than a friend, but she couldn't think of him as anymore. Elena shifted her weight uneasily. Did he only think of her as the ditzy blonde who managed to stumble her way to become her Turk? She rubbed her eyes and turned away from him and looked at the blond who was staring at the floor.

_What a Looney. _Was the only way she could describe him.

"Don't you think, we should be trying to think of ways to get ourselves out of this mess?" She voiced, the two men had turned to her, making her wonder if they too were desperately wanting to talk about anything.

"What do you think we've been doing?" Cloud muttered, stretching his legs in front of himself and using his arms to keep him propped up.

Elena glared at him and opened her mouth hoping to come up with something to argue in return. "I was checking that you two have been as well."

She watched the blond snort with laughter and draw his knees closer to his chest again. "Well it's obvious that Shinra isn't going to come on some heroic mission." Cloud stated. He'd half expected the two Turks to order him not to speak about the president like that but it didn't come.

"So what, are we just going to ride this out and see what happens?" Elena muttered, she looked up and saw that the two men had returned to their thoughts. She sighed aloud, rolling her eyes and then jumped to her feet. "Well I don't plan on staying locked in here with you two emotionless freaks."


	13. Chapter 13

**Two** chapters in one go! I felt bad so I thought I'd upload the next, to try and level out the last one!

Hope you like!

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It was unbelievable how the tension had built up between the three. Even after Elena had kindly named them both 'emotionless freaks' she would take it back now. She had realised how obvious it had become that Cloud didn't actually want to die. She'd imagined they'd have to shoot him in this very cell instead of trying to carry him out. She knew he could cause havoc if he wanted to and if he got outside she was sure he'd do as much as he could before they landed a bullet in his skull.

As for Tseng, she'd never seen him so taut. Like a single touch might make him snap and explode. He'd resigned himself to pacing the cell much to this two cell mates annoyance, which had even made his fellow Turk to explode and tell her boss to sit his 'ass' down before she did it for him.

Elena never swore. She'd smiled at the thought and realised she must be slowly breaking down like her Turk companion. Ignoring the blond who had only remained silent the whole time.

Elena had long given up in trying making conversation now, just in case one of them flipped and started strangling her. All escape plans had become hopeless and Elena's own idea of burying their way out had become more appealing day by day. But by saving what little reputation she had left she pushed the idea to the back of her mind, but sometimes she'd glance at the small hole she'd made in the wall and pick at it once before realising what she was doing.

The door flew open suddenly and creaked on its hinges before slamming against the grey stone wall. Elena scrambled to her feet and walked towards Tseng and watched as Cloud walked besides her. She felt her boss's hand grip her shoulder and she turned to him, he squeezed it once in reply and she couldn't help but smile in response. Tseng nodded once at her before lowering his hand.

The three watched as five Wutai rebels walked in, while there was few standing at the back. "You might as well give up now." Tseng slowly spoke. The two others turned and watched him speak. He still looked calm and collected even though his hair was disarray and there were black bags hanging under his eyes. "President Shinra will not give in to your demands."

There was a loud snicker escape most of the rebel's mouths, before they slowly moved forward. "We know." Elena stared at the one who spoke, she was sure it was the same one who had taken charge back at the reactor.

Elena almost jumped when she watch Cloud leap into action, she barely seen him move but he was soon smashing his fists into absolutely anything. She silently wished Cloud had at least said something then maybe they could have planned it better.

Tseng had quickly followed and then herself.

She heard the click of a gun, its safety obviously been taken off. She slowly stood up and watched as both Cloud and Tseng followed in unison. She stared down the barrel of the gun, her eyes wide, not allowing to give them the satisfaction of her trembling in her shoes as she waited for her demise.

"Grab him." Elena turned her head in shock looking to the two men behind her. She watched them grab Tseng and begin to force him out. She wanted to do something, anything, but watching her boss, her friend being stalked out of their cell broke her. He smiled briefly at her. She could feel the three little words on the tip of her tongue and she wanted to scream them out and hold him tight. But he turned away from her. She could feel the tears welling in her eyes and she turned to look at Cloud, who himself was in total shock, but was sure something else had caught his eye.

Yuffie stepped into the cell, there was a strange stale smell inside and it made wrinkle her nose; she eyed one man who was on the floor nursing his broken nose. She rolled her eyes and wanted to mutter a 'told you so' even though she hadn't warned them against anything.

"Why the hell are you showing your face?!" She looked up and watched as the crowd of men parted, she saw Tseng had been bound and was about to be led out and then spotted Cloud. His spiky golden hair was a mess and his face looked gaunt and pale. His mako eyes were what held her gaze, she couldn't begin to fathom the anger that was inside them. She half expected them to flicker green and become the infamous cat-like slit eyes. The silence was horrible, she was sure she could hear even a pin drop. Glancing to the side she watched the few guns that pointed at himself and the blonde Turk, guessing they were the only thing that stopped him from leaping forward and strangling her.

"What a total bitch you really are." Yuffie caught her breath; she couldn't believe the normally stoic blond man was shaking with fury, she was sure she'd never seem him so angry, even when he was fighting Sephiroth. Not a single person spoke or even moved, like they wanted to see what would happen. "How can you possibly lower yourself to this? I thought this was all for Wutai's _glory, _where in fact you're no better than Shinra." She watched Cloud catch his breath. "Go rot in hell."

The teen caught her own breath. It was safe to say she didn't expect the onslaught of words to attack her, certainly from the man before her. She watched them begin to pull Tseng out; he didn't utter a single word. She could hear Elena screaming, crying almost but all she could watch was the blond before her. Yuffie backed out and before she knew it the door slammed shut in front of her. She could hear the cries of Elena, something else she didn't expect.

Yuffie turned. She couldn't deal with Elena's cries or pleading words she had to get out.

She followed the crowd out, gripping onto the walls like she might fall if she didn't and was soon met with the brilliant sun. She stared at the stone courtyard outside and watched as a few others set up a camera while others pushed Tseng up against the wall. It made her feel sick that they were recording this.

He refused to be blindfolded and he stood quietly, ignoring the jibes that must have cut right through him. It was obvious to see he was of Wutain lineage, hence where most of the jibes came from.

She ran forward suddenly pushing a few others out of her way. "You can't do this!" She cried, skidding to a stop. She looked to Tseng who looked like he didn't notice. She held her tongue wanting to say she's the future queen of this country and they should obey her. But she was sure most of them had ignored her father's own pleas. Someone pushed her back and she turned trying to work out who it was. She carried on stumbling back unable to form a single sentence together anymore.

All the time, her mind raced back to Cloud's sudden outburst.

The gun's were raised and aimed.

_The wrath of a Soldier. _Her mind uttered, remembering how he looked like he could murderer her, where in fact she wasn't the person who was about to be murdered. _But he's not a Soldier! _Another voice suddenly protested a voice full of assurance, maybe it was Aerith she liked to think, that maybe the flower girl was guiding her. _He's your friend, and after everything you've been though, he is your friend. He didn't kill you after you stole their materia and he even saved you afterwards. He could have easily raced forwards a minute ago and break your neck before you even realised. _

She wasn't sure that the voice was even hers and it's blunt words slashed through her like a knife. The crack of gunfire brought her falling back into reality and she watched Tseng collapse into a heap, she stared at the blood splattered across the wall behind where he had stood and watched as all the on-lookers returned to whatever they had been doing. Like what just had happened was nothing more than a brief argument.

She choked on a sob and clamped a hand over her mouth, not allowing her cries to escape like the weeping Turk.

Vincent Valentine walked down the last few steps, his hand resting on his gun Cerberus. He caught sight of the crimson splattered blood across the wall and the black haired man on the ground. He hadn't expected the Wutains to go through with it. He didn't even have any idea it was happening. He hit himself mentally for being so foolish and stared round the courtyard.

He suddenly spotted the teen standing far back, he could pick out the trail of tears running down her face and her hand clamped over her mouth. He walked forwards, ignoring all the cheering going off and reached the dark haired young woman. He gripped her shoulders and she barely moved. "Yuffie." He eyes darted to his face and locked eyes with his.

"Vinnie." She muttered, she jumped up and wrapped her arms round him and held him tight. She wasn't sure what it was that made her care more for Vincent than anyone else. She felt his strong arms slowly wrap round her and hold her tight.

"Everything will be alright." She heard him whisper and she nodded into his chest. Not doubting it for a second, seeing Vincent had said it.

* * *

Cloud stood motionless, partly because of what just happened and Elena's strong grip. She somehow managed to spin round and throw her arms tightly into round him and nuzzle her head into his chest. She was sobbing uncontrollably, so hard that he was sure he could feel her wet tears seeping through his black zipped up shirt.

He slowly lifted his arms and placed them on her back, doing so made her only cry harder. "Elena." He muttered, keeping his arms fixed on her back.

"How could they?" He heard her whimper. Unable to answer he simply pulled her closer and she allowed him too.

He only knew how it felt to have a friend torn away from you, while you stand their helpless. "If there was anything I could have done, I would have." He whispered to her, slowly rubbing her back trying to soothe her.

"I know." She whimpered.

Cloud stood silently, listening to the woman's cries, unsure what to do or say. "I love him Cloud." She spoke. He squeezed her slightly in recognition that he heard and noted that she said 'love' and not 'loved'. They'd both heard the gun shots and then nothing else. Meaning they had to assume the worst.

He wasn't sure whether or not she was calming down or not, so kept his arms round her. He couldn't remember the last time he'd allowed himself to comfort anyone, not even Tifa. "Do you think he knew?" Cloud opened his mouth to speak, but again was lost for words. "What do you know." He heard Elena's snicker and she stepped back letting him go.

Cloud looked at her, he stared at her red eyes and the black bags hanging under them. Reminding him that he hadn't slept for however long it had been, but hadn't felt the effects just yet. "You can't even begin to comprehend emotions." He couldn't help but give her a small smile. He was amazed at how easy it was for her to pick herself up, or maybe it was just an act, he was sure she was used to acting unafraid when staring fear in its face. "Don't stare at me like that." He shook his head slightly and stared round at the room.

He caught sight of Tseng's suit jacket and wasn't sure whether or not he should try and hide it. "Don't bother." He heard Elena say. He twisted round and watched her shrug on her own jacket. "I'm a Turk right." She said with a smile, showing her brilliant white teeth.

The door opened behind them again and Cloud twisted back round again, deciding he wouldn't let them pull Elena out. Instead he was met with a pair of crimson eyes. "You were here all this time?" Cloud snarled glaring at the dark haired man.

"I didn't think they would do it." Vincent muttered walking forwards and closing the door behind him. He turned and watched Elena walk forward. "I'm sorry." He muttered, his voice sounding almost as unsympathetic as possible. Cloud watched Elena raise her fist and strike the man straight across his face.

"You damn better be!" She snarled back and stepped back towards Cloud.

"We're you going to just let us rot here then Vincent?" Cloud muttered.

Vincent shifted his weight from foot to foot and faced the other man. "I had thought things might sort themselves out, like I said I didn't expect things would get worse. I apologise." Cloud glared at him, as much as the man sounded insensitive he could tell the man was truly sorry. He doubted the man could have done anything anyway. Cloud nodded in recognition.

"What about Yuffie?" Cloud asked, wondering if she knew Vincent was here with them.

"Whatever you said to her, I think has cut her deep. But it's what she needed to make her sort her priorities out." Cloud nodded once more. Vincent looked over his shoulder and through the open door. "I think it's time you left."


	14. Chapter 14

Special thanks to **Sigbru****, ****X-This War Is Ours-X****, ****Kaarina Helvete****, ****MyfinalfantasyVII****, **And another special thanks to**X-This War Is Ours-X**again for telling me about the MCR song!! I loved it, and I've downloaded it too. ^^ Made my day!

* * *

The two followed Vincent out their cell and welcomed the fresh air and the bright sunlight that they could see further down the corridor they were now in. They watched Vincent come to a halt and raised his hand, he signalled to their left and Elena rushed forward reaching for her weapons and paused as she stared at Tseng's two guns. She watched the blond heave his sword up and swing it onto his back like it weighed nothing.

He walked past her and headed towards the ex-Turk. Elena eventually grabbed her weapons and Tseng's as well before joining the two men. "I think it's best if you travel south from here." Vincent murmured casting glances round the area. "You're a few miles away from anywhere, so just keep going." Cloud nodded in agreement. He couldn't remember how he got here and even if he managed to get to the reactor he couldn't remember how to get to the shinra army base. He looked at Elena who returned his gaze, then realised she probably had no idea where she was.

"What are you going to do from here?" Cloud whispered, as she stood besides Vincent in his shadow so not to be seen. He shoved Elena to the side with his arm as someone walked past further down so they wouldn't be seen. He heard her sigh with annoyance but didn't bother to explain himself.

"Don't worry." Vincent muttered.

Cloud frowned at the man, wishing he'd elaborate a little on his answer, but didn't expect anymore. "Are you leaving later with Yuffie?" He asked, still waiting for Vincent to direct him out of the clay stoned building.

"Not yet." Vincent began, watching as another person walked across the courtyard before them. "She's the future monarch of this country." He muttered. Cloud suppressed a laugh from the idea of Yuffie being in control of a country. "If we leave not long after they realise you've escaped there will be questions. And I can't allow the Rebels to start attacking Yuffie's father."

"Are we going yet?" He heard Elena whisper in a hoarse voice, which was loud enough she might as well speak normally.

Cloud ignored her and bit his lip toying with a question in his mind. "Will you apologise to Yuffie for me? I didn't mean what I said, well, I did but..." Cloud stopped talking deciding he'd just make it worse.

He watched Vincent nod. "I will, even though she should too." Cloud watched Vincent begin to move and cloud reached for the man's arm stopping him from moving.

"Just tell me the way out, if you get caught, think about Yuffie." He whispered, not needing an answer from the enigma of a man.

Vincent sighed and turned to the younger man behind him. "Go straight across the courtyard and there should be some vehicles there, all the keys are in the ignition. Go through the large wooden doors, they might need breaking down, I'm sure that's no problem." Cloud guessed the man might be smirking from seeing the corner of his eyes crinkle slightly and also that he couldn't actually see the man's lower half of his face because of his blood red cloak. The blond nodded and looked over the man's shoulder at said courtyard.

"Thank you, Vincent." Cloud muttered and looked to Elena who was glaring at him from underneath her bangs.

"Are we going already?" She snapped. Cloud smiled at her slightly, surprised at her sudden childish outburst.

Cloud looked once more to Vincent who stepped aside and let the two run past.

The two followed the walls as they ran through the courtyard. He caught sight of the blood splattered wall and grumbled slightly to himself, deciding how much the people here were like animals. He looked over his shoulder to Elena who had her own eyes focused on his back, trying desperately to ignore the scene.

"Come on." Cloud muttered reaching for the woman's arm and tugging her along.

The two were able to remain completely silent even through the floor was crumbling stone, much like the walls of their cell before. Cloud skidded to a stop and pressed his back against the wall with Elena following suit. He looked down from where they had come and was able to just pick out Vincent from the shadows. Only guessing he was able too because of his heightened senses.

The two stood by the open entrance to where Vincent had directed them. The blond man looked round the corner and smirked as he saw the place was completely empty. He couldn't believe his luck!

He eyed the barred wooden doors and frowned, knowing as soon as he smashed the doors down the noise would attract whoever was nearby. He looked at all the vehicles again, deciding on one of the motorbikes that were near the doors.

Cloud pulled round from the corner and looked back to Elena who had been carefully watching the courtyard before them. "I'll smash the door down, while you grab one of the bikes and start it up, right?" Cloud ordered, he was ready to turn the corner when he felt the woman grab his arm and tug him back. He turned and glared at her and rubbed his arm slightly after she had released him from her tight grip.

"Why a bike?" She snapped again, staring up into his cold mako eyes.

Cloud paused. Why had he decided on a bike? "Because...it's the closest." He decided. He felt Elena tug him back again and she stepped in front of him and looked round the corner herself.

Cloud rolled his eyes knowing what was coming. It was worse being with Elena than with Cid who constantly questioned everything, from who was driving and who got to lead. "No it's not!" She snarled turning round and facing him.

"This isn't the time." Cloud ordered again and pulled Elena back behind him.

"Time? It was alright for you to have your prolonged chat with that vampire, but _now_ we have no time!"

"I can drive a bike better." Cloud retorted, deciding this conversation was getting incredibly childish.

"I can drive a truck better!"

"Bikes are faster."

"No they're not!"

"Look." Cloud turned and rounded on the woman. "We're getting a bike and that's that!" He hit himself mentally for sounding childish himself and looked round the area checking that no one was standing there watching them have an argument for enjoyment. He looked to where Vincent was standing and caught sight of the man's gauntlet point at the entrance besides them.

"We'll, I'm driving."

Cloud sighed and wanted to drop to the floor and disappear. "Just...get the bike." He gave up, deciding he'd shove the Turk behind him once she got ready with the bike herself. He watched her nod before racing round the corner.

Elena raced across the stone floor and slid to a stop she flung her leg over the side of one of the bikes and looked up to check Cloud was actually doing what he had said. She watched him heave his sword and watched it charge with blue energy.

She turned the engine on and listened to it roar, she looked back up and watched as the blond released one of his signature moves at the door and watched it explode before him. Elena swung the bike round and the wheels screeched against the floor.

She skidded to a halt besides the man and looked over her shoulder as a few of the rebels had ran out to see what the noise was.

Cloud sheathed his sword and turned to the woman. "Move!" He snapped. He watched her open her mouth to protest. "No time!" He snapped. Deciding to throw any manners he had out the window, he pushed the woman back and jumped on the bike himself. He started the bike up easily and heard the Turk protest. He pushed the bike forward and it instantly raced forwards. He felt the woman's arms wrap round him suddenly and clutched onto his shirt tight, like she might fall off from his insane speed.

He stared at the barren wasteland before them and kept going hoping to reach somewhere soon. He looked over his shoulder and stared at the crumbling building shrink smaller and smaller in the distance, he spotted a few trucks come out to follow them along with a few bikes.

"Eyes on the road!" He heard Elena shout and he smothered a laugh. He turned back round and allowed the bike to race faster, knowing he had perfect control of it and they'd out run the rebels quickly and they'd give up the chase.

* * *

Tifa caught her breath and stared round the room. Kenji had disappeared into the kitchen again, she guessed it was to fetch himself a glass of wine after another frustrating day at Shinra. She ran her fingers through her long dark hair and held back a whimper.

One of them had been shot!

Why hadn't Yuffie do anything to stop it? Surely Vincent was there, why hadn't he done anything either? If it had been Cloud who had been put up in front of the firing line they would have done anything to save him, wouldn't they? Judging from her last conversation with Yuffie, she doubted the teen would do anything. But Vincent? She was sure Vincent were a lot closer than people though, seeing they had suffered at the hands of the same man and could easily relate to each other.

Tifa rubbed her forehead, trying to ignore the beginnings of a headache.

But, they wouldn't stand aside and let these rebels shoot down a Turk either. They had morals didn't they?

Yes, there had been a time when they had to fight against the Turk in fear for their lives. But as of the last incident with those silver haired triplets they had done whatever they could to aid them all.

Tifa sighed with defeat. No matter how much she thought of Vincent and Yuffie, it didn't take away the fact that one of the three captives had been shot.

How could Rufus Shinra live with himself, after knowing one of his close companions and Cloud for that matter had been shot because of his greed?

_Too many questions. _She thought to herself and relaxed back into her chair in defeat.

It felt like something was eating away at her mind and numbing her senses. Each question after question came back to one. Cloud can't be dead, can he? They were friends she was sure of it, and if he was it would feel like there was a gigantic hole in her life. She'd miss him so much it would be unbelievable, but the one thing she felt like she'd miss was the future.

Did she really think that there might be more? More to him just being there in her life as a friend. She looked up and stared at Kenji as he walked in, he was smiling brightly at her.

As stupid as it sounded, she wasn't sure if she could rely on the man before her. She could never truly rely on Cloud, sometimes he was there and the next he was gone, but she knew he'd do anything for her.

Had she really messed her life up so much, that there was no way of turning things around?

Maybe.

"What's going to happen to the other two?" She whispered, not holding his gaze.

"Why do you care so much?" She snapped her head up and faced him. His expression was nonchalant like what he said meant nothing.

"Of course I care, Cloud's there..." She caught her breath and shut her eyes tight wishing he might not have been listening. She opened her eyes and the man before her looked no different. "Is there anything you can do?" She asked, trying to ignore what she said. He shrugged and drank out of his glass. "Are you not doing anything?" He didn't answer. "Have you spoke to Shinra?"

"This isn't my problem Tifa!" Kenji snapped glaring at her from underneath his dark bangs. "Neither do I care."

"These people's lives are on the line because of this company!" Tifa cried, not being able to believe the man's harshness.

"They knew the possible consequences." He muttered rising to his feet. Tifa glared at him and jumped to her own feet. She couldn't stand to be with the man anymore. "Where are you going?" He snapped following her to the door. He watched her shrug on her black jacket and zipped it up. "Tifa!" He reached for her arm and she pushed him off.

"Don't touch me." She snapped glaring at him, before returning to get ready to leave.

"Where are you going to go Tifa?" He snapped again. Tifa turned and looked at him. He was still holding his glass in his right hand and had a sly smile on his face. She turned back round and pocketed her keys. She was in fact on her way to see Rufus Shinra, if Kenji wasn't going to do anything, she would, and she didn't want to stand on the side lines while three of her friends could be in danger.

She'd let him think she was leaving. She smiled slightly, realising how stupid the man was for not being able to work out she was leaving or else she would have gotten her belongings. "You can't go back to your pathetic bar, I'll find you there pretty easily." Tifa didn't reply. "If you haven't realised you're carrying my child."

"And whose fault's that?" she snapped, knowing half was hers, but she wouldn't take the whole blame for it. Tifa reached for the door and threw it open and strode out, slamming it behind her.

She rubbed her face, feeling the heat in her cheeks. She couldn't deny it, he was right. She had nowhere to go. She didn't want to ring Barret or anyone and make them worry about her, she can deal with her own problems. It was just a temporary glitch in their relationship that was it.

With that thought in mind she made her way to the lifts at the end of the corridor and headed out of the building.

The streets outside were busy and the sun blared down on the town. She cast a quick glance up at the sky and stared at the threatening purple clouds above the town. It was obvious a storm was coming; there was already a cold chill in the air despite the strong warm rays from the sun.

Eventually she reached the main Shinra building. It was nothing special just a huge skyscraper with the Shinra logo plastered on the side. Tifa walked up the few steps thankful for the black trainers she was wearing.

The doors swung open and she was met by the cold blasts from the air-conditioners placed above the doors. It was eerily quiet inside, making her shake with fury that no one was running around with orders to try and save the now two people who are held captive in Wutai.

"Look who's here, Rude." Tifa rolled her eyes at the sound of the red headed Turk's voice. She turned round and was met by the two Turks. She offered a smile to Rude, who she could tell was blushing slightly. She knew the bald Turk had some feelings towards her and it was Reno's self appointed duty to flaunt this whenever herself and Rude were in each other's company.

"Haven't you got other things to be doing?" She snapped. She saw Reno raise an eyebrow with surprise and turned to his partner a small snicker escaping his lips.

"I should have guessed you and your band of fellow men already know." Reno drawled, his smirk still plastered across his face. "What are you doing out here anyways, shouldn't you be resting somewhere?" Tifa glared at him again and tried to ignore him and turned to Rude.

"I want to see Shinra." She snapped, she saw Reno open his mouth to say something oh-so witty. "President Shinra, not the building." His eyebrows furrowed along with his bright green eyes narrowing.

"You can't just walk in and see him!"

"This way Miss Lockheart." Reno spun round and stared at his partner who began walking forward. Tifa smiled at the man before smirking at the red head. She never liked to flaunt the idea of Rude having a 'crush' on her, but drastic needs called for drastic measures.

Tifa followed the man into one of the three lifts and up various floors until the lift eventually stopped. She then followed him out and down a corridor, she stared out the huge window that dominated the right side of the wall and stared at the darkening sky.

She watched Rude hold open the door, while Reno strode behind her, his hands dug deep into his pockets. The brunette nodded thanks and walked into the office.

The room was cold from one of the fans placed in the corner of the room that twisted this way and that. There was another large window behind the desk that also showed the city below and the darkening sky and it's purple clouds. "Miss Lockheart." Tifa barely realised that the President Shinra was in the room.

He stood up from his chair, wearing his signature white suit and extended a hand. She slowly shook it and he gestured to the chair behind her. "And to what do I owe the pleasure?"

Tifa frowned at him, hating him for playing her like a fool. "I know what's going off in Wutai, Rufus." She snapped suddenly. She watched the frown appear on his face and he leant back into his chair, lifting his hands into his lap and entwining his fingers together. He nodded and looked back at her, obviously waiting for more. "I know that they want you to hand yourself in, or else they'll shoot the three captive, which are now, two."

"And you're worried your dear friend Strife will meet his end, aren't you?" He answered, a smile tugging at his lips as he watched her.

Tifa shook her head in disbelief with his answer. "Why won't you do anything?" She cried, leaning forwards glaring at him.

Rufus sighed and stared at the two Turk's behind her, for allowing her to come up. "I'm afraid I can't answer your question, _Tifa. _Please, I'm a busy man." Tifa watched him return to something on his desk and she glared at him, grumbling to himself.

She jumped to her feet and restrained herself from walking over and striking the man across his face. "You really are the most despicable person on this planet." She snarled. He looked up and smiled a sickly sly smile before returning to his work.

Tifa frowned again and stormed out. The door shut behind her and she stared down the corridor. She'd never felt so helpless and useless ever before.


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N: **My special thanks goes to **Sironblood1****, ****Kaarina Helvete****, ****Sigbru** and**Stryper**for all reviewing on my previous chapter. And also to everyone who has added this story to their favourites and/or alerts. I'm sure everyone else will agree with me that it's great to see that people do enjoy our stories and it is appreciated every time one of you do, I'd also add you on here, but I'm too afraid of missing someone and then I'd feel bad, so, you know who you are!

Anyways, here's my 15th instalment, and I quite like this chapter, Elena makes me smile!

**ALSO **for some reason Fanfiction wouldn't let me upload anything. So that's why it's taken me ages, so really it's not my fault...:/

Thanks.

* * *

A pang of nostalgia suddenly struck at his brain, like a bullet to his skull. The world was spinning past at a fast rate and he could almost see another man's face staring back at his own. He turned to his right and could almost picture the black haired man sitting there, his arm resting on his knee while he smiled back at him, a smile so pure it would make everyone smile in return.

"_We're friends, right?" _

Cloud looked up at the sky, it was dark and black, like it had been waiting for him to arrive to burst its banks and pour down on him. The truck bounced over another rock and the two occupants at the back swayed. The wasteland that surrounded both the ruined city of Midgar and the newly built one Edge was eerily quiet. Cloud briefly looked up and saw Elena's eyes were fixed on him. He couldn't be sure if she knew about Zack and what had happened here and decided not to hazard a guess.

The two had managed to leave Wutai, it was mostly likely three weeks now since Vincent had let them leave and escape maybe more. They had outrun the Wutai Rebels, but unfortunately couldn't find the Shinra army base in which they hoped to get back to civilization. So, instead they travelled as far as they could via the bike they had stolen, it had gotten them a fair few miles, maybe a hundred or so, he couldn't be sure. Cloud had driven throughout the night while Elena had slept behind him.

Eventually the bike had given out and they had no other choice but to walk. Neither could he guess how long they had walked, until they came across a small village at the side. Where thanks to Elena they had managed to snatch a fishing boat and cross the sea. It had been bordering on their fourth day of escape and Cloud himself could begin to feel a twinge of hunger and wondered how the woman with him had felt.

They had come to Nibelheim of all places and Cloud wanted to do nothing but leave the place. He'd guessed Elena had known why, but the Turk had demanded they'd rest in an inn. He had had no idea how she had paid for their stay and food and once again didn't bother to ask.

He'd found himself no longer hating the Turk and appreciating her a little more. After all she had _barely _whined the whole time and occasionally lifted his spirits by telling him about her idea of digging her way out back in Wutai. The thought brought a small smile on his face whenever he did think of it.

The two had then moved on from Nibelheim by catching a ride with someone to the Golden Saucer. He'd been rather angry that Elena had asked if they could stay another night somewhere. He'd seen how tired the blonde was and thought it might be better if they did.

The sights of the Golden Saucer and its gondolas had rushed him over with familiar memories that struck at his heart. He could still remember Tifa smiling as he had to do that pathetic play with her, again the thought had made his cheeks flush with embarrassment. He could remember how she had sat across from him, muttering about how pretty everything looked out from the Gondola. She had had wanted to say something to him, while all the time he'd sat there his arms folded glaring out the window being his typical arrogant self.

Then from there they travelled to Costa del Sol. Elena had laughed at him when he mentioned he had a beach house around somewhere, but he hadn't been there for so long he couldn't remember which one it was. He'd planned to take Tifa there after everything had happened with meteor and Sephiroth, but the moment had passed. He didn't want to take her there while he was still wallowing in his own guilt and make her suffer with him in his depressive state.

It had been maybe a two weeks; maybe even a little more they'd both lost track of time and couldn't tell how long they had been out. They'd left Costa del Sol and arrived at Junon where they managed to catch another ride that would take them to Edge.

The same ride they were sitting in at the moment.

"What are you thinking?" Elena asked quietly as she swayed with the truck to stop herself from falling. She stared at the young man. She eyed the blond stubble that had grown across his face, she hadn't been sure if he was capable to grow body hair. He rubbed his face consciously as she watched his face.

Cloud looked up from his thoughts and watched her for a moment. "The past." He muttered. He wasn't sure what it was about Elena, but he found it easy to speak to her. She didn't judge him anymore, as she'd said she didn't want to be judged herself.

She hummed in reply and glanced round the wasteland area. "I remember, chasing two escapees who'd broken out from Nibelheim. I was a rookie back then." She laughed at the thought and turned back to him. "We tried to get there before the army. Tseng had said to bring you both in alive. But..." She trailed off and looked away from him.

Cloud frowned slightly, trying to recollect any memories he had of himself and Zack escaping from Hojo's clutches. There had to have been Turks following as well, that sort of thing wouldn't have been left in the hands of the army. He thought he could remember a name like Cissnei, but shook his head in defeat.

There was a crack of thunder above and they both looked up. They watched the first few droplets fall and blinked as they met their faces. The truck driver muttered an apology about the back of his truck being open before returning to his driving.

* * *

"A Turk's alright apparently." Kenji muttered. He watched the woman's eyebrows knit together and her hand go to her gasping mouth.

"It's been two weeks!" She cried. Tifa stared at him. Does he mean another one has been shot by then? Does it mean Cloud's dead? "Just a Turk?" He nodded and shrugged his shoulders again.

"That's all I've heard." He turned away and walked away from her.

Tifa stared round the apartment. She wished to herself that she had not come back. That she'd gone somewhere else, even if it was Aerith's church, anywhere would be better. Tifa stared out the windows and watched the sky flash with lightening which was followed by the small sound of raindrops on the windows. She placed a hand on her stomach, knowing in her predicament she couldn't go anywhere else.

She refused to cry in front of the man who she was sharing his home with and reached for her phone. She quickly dialled Vincent's number, briefly remembering that Cloud and herself had brought it for him and sat with him in her bar and explained how to use it. A smile lit up her face before she remembered why she was ringing and pressed the phone to her ear.

She sighed as it went straight to answer phone and bit her lip, wondering what to do next.

Tifa had to know if her childhood friend was alive.

She paused.

_Childhood _friend? She'd come to accept they were childhood friends, but in reality they weren't really. He was just the boy next door, who was just a bit, strange and by himself a lot. She had never really given him the chance to be proper friends. He'd attempted in trying to save her life after she'd risked both their lives when she climbed up the mountain. She'd forever be thankful for that, but after her father had told her to never see him again.

She shook the thought out of her head. He had to be alive and next time she saw him she'd ask him what he could remember about it.

Tifa dialled Yuffie's number and it rang again. She sighed when she heard the girl's chirpy voice about leaving a message after the beep. She snapped her phone shut and fell back into her chair.

She couldn't imagine Cloud dying like that. As much as she hated saying it. After everything they'd been through and for him to be shot to death by a group of rebels sounded unfitting. The brunette shifted her weight uneasily at the thoughts and turned her gaze out at the window. Like he might be there right now in the same very city.

* * *

"Elena!" The two turned and watched as a familiar red head came running towards her followed by his partner Rude. He skidded to a stop and stared at her, unsure whether he should hug her or just shake her hand. His green eyes stared at the blond man next to her and smirked he opened his mouth to say something, when suddenly a hand met his cheek and slapped him across his face.

The sound made the other two men wince as they watched Reno stumble back clutching his face. "Is that what I get?!" He cried, glaring at Elena.

"Be thankful that's all you get." Cloud muttered, allowing a smirk play on his face as the red head turned and glared at him. He stood up straight and removed his hand from his face, letting them see the perfect hand imprint on his face.

"Do you have any idea where I've been? Do you have any idea what's happened? While you've been busy gallivanting around this building!" She cried, waving her arms in the air causing everyone in the reception of Shinra to turn and watch her. The three men remained silent allowing her to speak. "I've been stuck in a hell hole, released by a vampire and walked across this stupid planet with this statue and Tseng's..." Elena caught herself and looked away from the two Turks.

Cloud watched them; there were sorry looks in their eyes, knowing that they knew about Tseng as well. Elena had not spoken once about Tseng since the day. "We need to see Rufus." Cloud stated, knocking the two Turks in front of him back into reality.

The two didn't say anything just simply stared at them. "This way." Elena muttered, grabbing Cloud's arm and pulling him along.

"Hell hath no fury, than a woman scorned." She heard Reno mutter, rubbing his cheek slightly.

"Go do something useful for a change!" She snarled back, making everyone in the reception of Shinra fall silent again. "And I'm not scorned!" She added turning on her heel glaring at her fellow Turk, while he hand was still clutching onto Cloud's arm.

The two walked into one of the three lifts and the doors slid closed. "I can't believe them." Elena whispered. "I thought they might have done something, not still be hanging around here!" Cloud watched her, guessing she was more talking to herself than him.

She brushed herself down and pulled at her suit jacket. She silently wished she'd stopped off at her own apartment and smartened herself up before coming back to Shinra. The last time she had had a wash was back at the golden Saucer. She turned to the blond, who was staring at the metal doors in front of him. He didn't look as bad as her, maybe because he was used to this sort of thing more. A smile played on her face as she eyed his stubble once again, unable to picture the blond with a full grown beard, it made him look more of a man she figured. "I can't work out if your hair is normal, or if it is messier." She mused aloud staring up at the blond mess.

Cloud turned and looked down at her subconsciously running his gloved fingers through his spiky golden hair. Elena turned away and Cloud watched the colour rise in her cheeks.

The doors slid open again and Elena began walking down again with Cloud at her heels. He stared out the window on his right and at the grey skies and pouring rain. Elena was already at the door at the end and she threw it open and stormed in. Cloud quickly followed her inside and shut the door behind him.

"Elena?!" Spoke the President. There was a look of confusion on his face as he glanced from Cloud to the female Turk.

"How could you?!" She cried. Cloud winced from the woman's suddenly high pitched voice. He truly believed that Elena never spoke to the President of Shinra like this. "You let Tseng die!"

There was a long awkward silence that neither of the two filled. Cloud looked from one to the other before stepping forwards. "Why didn't you tell me, that that reactor was still active?" He snarled, gripping the back of the leather bound empty chair. Rufus briefly looked up and fixed his grey eyes on the other man before looking down at his desk. Cloud waited for an answer and realised one wasn't coming. He sighed aloud and turned on the spot.

"I didn't think they'd do it." Rufus muttered.

"Well you thought wrong!" Cloud shouted, stopping himself from heaving his sword off of his back and slashing the man in half.

The silence returned and Cloud toyed with the idea of leaving.

"There's Wutain rebels are here also." Rufus began, looking to Elena. "They've already come here and demanded to see me, Reno and Rude took care of them." Cloud glared at the man wondering what he meant when he said '_took care of them'_. "They've even turned up at my home to take myself hostage. But, Reno and Rude have been there on all occasions."

"Lucky you." Cloud murmured. He turned to Elena who was staring out the window lost in her own thoughts.

"But," Rufus paused and glanced at the two. Elena turned back around and faced her boss, who was leaning on the desk his fingers entwined and his chin resting on them. "The rebels believe Shinra has started up the SOLDIER programme again."

Cloud looked to Elena and then back to Shinra. "Are you?" Cloud muttered, not putting it past the president to start it up again.

"Of course not!" Snapped Shinra in reply, a hint of hurt in his voice as he stared at the other man.

"Well, how have they come up with that?" Elena asked, looking once to Cloud and his glowing mako eyes, thinking she might already have the answer. She watched the president point at the man before him and saw Cloud's expression change dramatically.

"_This_, is not my fault. They base it just on the fact of you."

Cloud glared at the man and turned to Elena, who smiled at him sympathetically and shrugged. "What do they want?" Cloud snapped turning on the man behind the desk who was now reclining in his leather chair staring at them both.

"Nothing, so far." Rufus answered shrugging into the chair and staring into Cloud's mako eyes.

Cloud glared at the man in turn, knowing Rufus Shinra had to be lying, the rebels wouldn't simply say they believe Shinra is restarting SOLIDER and not say they want anything.

He turned on his heel and headed out of the office, swinging the door shut behind him. He hated spending time with the head of Shinra and couldn't bear to stand anymore. "Cloud!" He stopped as he heard the sound of running footsteps, he turned slowly and watched Elena run to him before coming to a stop in front of him. She straightened her hair and looked up at him. "If I find out anything, I'll give you a call." Cloud nodded once and turned to leave when the woman reached his for his arm and pulled it to her. Cloud was about to pull her off when she pushed back his sleeve and quickly scrawled down some numbers. "And, if you need me." She dropped his arm and Cloud glanced at the eleven numbers. He nodded again and saw the woman smile once at him. "Be careful." She whispered before snorting with laughter once. "And, thank you."

Elena turned back round, smiling once, before heading back to Rufus's office.


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N: **Special thanks again to **Sigbru****, ****MyfinalfantasyVII****, ****Kaarina Helvete****, **and **Life'sAbitchAndThenYouDie**for all reviewing on my last chapter, I really do appreciate it, it's nice to know people are enjoying it!! And again my thanks to those who added this story to their favourites and alerts!

Also, this has been so hard to write, as I actually already have my next story in my head, except I have three different stories!! You won't believe it, I can't wait to start writing them, but I am going to finish this first before I start on my next!

* * *

Tifa Lockheart flipped her phone shut and glared at it. As if it was to blame for all her problems. Why hadn't Vincent of Yuffie returned her calls? She stared round the cafe she was in, like the two said people might be sitting there watching her every move.

Her world was falling to pieces and she had no energy left to pick up those pieces and put them back together. Barret was busy with his own family and she didn't want to worry him with her woes. She wasn't even sure what to do, whether she should ring him and tell him Cloud was caught a few weeks back and might be dead. She massaged her temples, wishing she had said something. Because maybe the man could have broken into wherever the three were held and saved them all. But now one of them is dead defiantly and might even be two now.

Cid was in Rocket Town, she thought. She wasn't overly sure anymore, what with his _Shera _and Shera the woman herself, he could be anywhere. And she had no way to get in contact with Nanaki, seeing he never carried a phone and was in a way incapable of using one.

The rain was still falling like a pool of water was being poured on the town and she felt her emotions being dragged down similarly. She stared outside at the running people holding newspapers above their heads in case they didn't have an umbrella. The rain trickled down the window and she traced one with her finger.

"Tifa Lockheart?" Tifa turned at the sound of her name and was met with a woman's face. Her blonde hair was soaking wet and hung round her face and clung to it. Her face had a faint tan to it like she'd been abroad for a while. The woman slowly brushed her wet fringe out of her eyes and stared at Tifa. "I'm Elena, remember?"

Tifa nodded slowly, watching the Turk. "Why are you here, aren't you in Wutai?" She snapped, not being able to believe the woman was standing in front of her, it must have been a different Turk with Cloud.

"We got out." Elena muttered, glancing round the cafe before taking the seat besides Tifa and shrugging off her soaking wet jacket.

"We?" Tifa asked, turning round to face the other woman properly. If she said 'we', she had to mean someone else.

"Cloud and I."

"Then he's alright?!" Tifa cried, covering her mouth after she almost screamed. She turned and faced a few customers who were staring at her and smiled an apology. A wave of relief rushed over her and eased all the nagging voices in her head, which had questioned Cloud's wellbeing.

"Hasn't he rung you, or anything?" Elena asked, ignoring the stares from a few customers. Tifa shook her head and stared into Elena's bright blue eyes. "I was hoping he had. I've tried ringing him, except he's not answering any of his calls. I'd hoped he'd have his phone back by now."

Tifa felt a knot form in her stomach, at the sound of Elena ringing him and speaking to him probably more than she had for a while. "How long have you been back?" Tifa asked, pushing the thought to the back of her mind.

Elena shrugged. "A few days, not long." Tifa turned away, she'd hoped Cloud might have rung or tried to see her, seeing he's been back for a few days. "Wait, how do you know about Wutai?!" Tifa jumped at the change of Elena's voice to a much harsher tone.

"Yuffie." Tifa murmured, she heard Elena say something under her breath that Tifa wouldn't repeat herself.

"Well, I really need to speak to Cloud, it's important." Elena muttered, as she picked up her jacket and pulled it back on.

"What is it? I might see him or something, I could tell him for you?" Tifa asked, wanting to know what Elena had to say which was important to Cloud.

The blond Turk glanced round the cafe again and sat back down quickly, drawing herself closer to Tifa. "The rebels think the Shinra is starting up the SOLDIER programme again, because they realised Cloud looked like a SOLDIER, anyway, they want to know that it isn't being started up again, by Shinra executing their own SOLDIER."

Tifa shook her head in disbelief. "Don't they know who Cloud is?" She asked, thinking most people had an idea who _the_ Cloud Strife. Elena shrugged again.

"I know he can take care of himself, but, you know, I thought he might rather know. There are rebels here in Edge, probably on the lookout." Elena added. Tifa nodded in return.

"If I see him, I'll tell him." Tifa smiled, Elena did in return and stood back up and headed back outside. Tifa watched her sprint across the road and disappear round the corner. She couldn't understand herself. Why should she be feeling jealous over Elena speaking to Cloud? Yuffie has spoken to him plenty of times and she's never felt a pang of resentment then. She shook the thought out of her head, she should be happy he is alive, not angry at him talking to Elena.

Tifa gathered her things and stood up and walked outside. She opened up her own umbrella and headed down the streets.

* * *

It was quiet inside the church, she could still hear the rain outside but it was quieter. The rain fell through the hole in the roof and splashed into the pool of water where Aerith's flowers once grew. Tifa folded away her umbrella and placed it on one of the pews; she stared at the smashed pew at the end remembering her own fight with one of the silver haired trio.

She stared round the church and spotted something covered in a black cloth. She walked forwards, the floorboards creaking under her weight. Tifa stopped and stared at it, it looked like a bed sheet maybe, and she wasn't sure. Dust had collected over it and even spiders had spun their webs on it. She clutched the cloth and pulled it off with once single tug. She coughed and covered her eyes as the dust was flown into the air.

She stared at the black bike that the cloth had covered and it brought a smile to her face. She'd never known something Cloud had cared about as much as his motorbike. Its surface was still shining as if it had only been cleaned the other day. He had to still be in the city, if his bike was here, he had to be.

Tifa glanced round the church, hoping the young man might be standing there watching her. "Cloud?" She whispered, knowing if he was here he would hear her.

Nothing.

Not even a single creak of the floorboards. She rubbed her forehead in annoyance and stared round the church a single time before walking out and leaving.

Why wouldn't he try and get in contact with her after so long?

* * *

Tifa opened the apartment door with a click and pushed the door open. She was too lost in her own thoughts to spot the man glaring at her when she came through. "Where the hell have you been?" She jumped at the sudden impact of his voice and she looked up to see him. His face was twisted in anger and his normally smoothed glistening hair was sprayed across his face like he had been standing out in a hurricane.

"I found out Cloud is back." She began, she heard his grunt of annoyance and turned away from him. "I wanted to make sure he was okay."

"You think he gives a shit about you?" Kenji snapped, throwing the glass that had been held between his fingers onto the polished wooden floor. Tifa stared back up at him, how could he possibly know what Cloud thought about her, he's only spent an hour or so in the other man's presence. "If you think he did, do you really think he would have walked out on you?!" Tifa caught her breath as his words hit her like a slap in the face. She watched his twisted triumphant smile cross his face and he turned round to sit back down.

"Even if that's true, I can go and see him if I want!" She snapped back. She felt incredibly childish at her own words, but was determined not to let Kenji have the final word. He didn't control her, he couldn't tell her what she can or cannot do.

She watched him stop suddenly, like he had been shot from behind. Tifa clutched the bag in her hand and flicked her wet hair over her shoulder. She waited for his angry outburst and wasn't about to pay any attention to it. "I thought I told you to never go and see him again." He voice was far to calm and she could tell he was having to restrain himself.

"Well, I didn't see him, did I?" She snapped back. Agreeing with herself that would be the end of their conversation she placed her bag down on the table and started to shrug her coat off.

"But you would have done if he was there!" Tifa jumped when she turned back round, his face was literally inches away from hers and she watched his eyes dart around her face as if he was trying to find a single hint of her being unfaithful to him.

The brunette stopped herself from punching the man in the stomach and sending him flying across the room, that would only make matters worse. "Don't you try and be all smug with me!" He snarled, pointing his finger at her threateningly. "I'm the one who's giving you a place to live."

"I'll go back to the bar, if I'm that much of a problem!" Tifa sniped back grabbing her coat. Kenji instantly snatched it out of her hand and threw it to the floor.

"You know I'd find you." He mused a small innocent like laugh escaped his throat, that made the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end. "Anyway." He began standing up straight and running his fingers through his hair and smoothing it down, he smiled at her before walking to the shattered glass and picking it up carefully. Tifa stared at him in shock, it was like he had two personalities. "We're going out tonight, remember?" He turned and watched her through his dark eyes.

Tifa nodded, refusing to take her eyes off of him in case he leapt to his feet and start to attack her. She remembered him mentioning once about going to some club in the centre of Edge, so she could meet some of his friends. "Are, you sure I should go?" She muttered, clutching her bag in her hands.

"Of course, why not?" He asked, still picking the glass up.

"Well, I am pregnant Kenji..." She mumbled, wondering if the man had actually forgotten why she was stuck in this predicament. She placed a hand on her small bump protectively while she watched him. He shrugged once more and turned to her.

"I'd like you to go." He smiled and walked towards her. She turned away expecting him to strike her, instead he placed a small kiss on the side of her neck. She closed her eyes, wishing everything could go back to normal. That Cloud was here right now and he could throw the man out of the window and order him to never see her again. She smiled at the thought and turned back to face Kenji. He smiled once before turning and disappearing into the kitchen.

_You mean I have to go. _Tifa thought to herself.

"I have to go into town." She heard him cry from the kitchen. She didn't reply, it wasn't like if she said anything it would matter anyway. "I'll be back later." She stepped to the side as he reached for his coat and walk out the door.

Tifa stood quietly, rehearsing everything that had just happened in her mind, trying to find some logic in it, but nothing came to the surface. Her phone suddenly began ringing and she paused wondering if it was Kenji, threatening her that if she dared to leave the apartment he'd bulldoze her beloved bar, that she longed to return to.

She dug into her bag and flipped her phone open not bothering to see who it was who had rung. "Hello?" She mumbled.

"_Hey Tifa!" _

Tifa smiled at the sound of Yuffie chipper voice, but silently wished it was Cloud's quiet voice.

"_I just realised that you've rung me so many times! I'm sorry I should have replied but I've just been so...busy. Anyway what's up?" _

"Nothing, I know Cloud's safe. He's made it back to Edge." She mumbled, she didn't blame the teen for it, but she obviously had some hand to play in this.

"_Oh right, that's good news." _Tifa noted the girl's sudden change in her voice, it was so hard for Yuffie to hide her emotions.

"What's wrong Yuffie?" She asked, dropping her bag to the floor and making her way to the couch. She collapsed down onto it and decided to push her current personal problems to the side and help her friend.

"_I'm sure Cloud is totally pissed at me." _

Tifa scrunched her nose in annoyance, she hated the teen to use fowl language, something she obviously picked up off of Cid, she'd normally scold the girl for it if the kids were here, but seeing as they weren't she'd let it slide. The thought of the kids, opened up a door in her mind that she managed to shut for a while. The loneliness began creeping back in as she stared round the apartment. No kids to tell them to stop arguing, no customers to serve, no Cloud to welcome home.

"_You should have been there."_Tifa heard Yuffie speak, bringing her back to reality. _"I've never seen him so angry before"_ Tifa smiled at the thought, she couldn't really picture the blond man angry, after everything that's happened with meteor, she couldn't remember him getting angry once. _"He told me I was no better than Shinra, and, that I was a bitch and, that I should go rot in hell." _There was a long silence and Tifa didn't know how to fill it. It was obvious the teen had been hurt by his words, but she couldn't imagine the normally impassive swordsman would shout something out like that to the teen.

"I'm sure he didn't mean it." Was all Tifa could say, she'd never seen Cloud properly angry once maybe once when the two of them parted those months ago. She heard Yuffie snort with sarcastic laughter on the other side of the phone.

"_Do you think he'll forgive me?"_

She had never heard Yuffie with a serious voice and it seemed very uncharacteristic and decided she preferred the hyper, over the top Yuffie. "Of course he will." She said, nodding to herself as she said it like she was trying to convince herself as well. She heard a small hum of agreement knowing Yuffie was obviously doubting her.

"_Anyways, Vincent and I are trying to leave, it's getting way too much, not that I can't handle it, you know." _Tifa smiled knowing Yuffie was back to normal. She wished the teen goodbye and was returned with her loneliness.

Tifa stared at the door as if Kenji might be hiding behind it. She flipped her phone open again and quickly dialled Cloud's number and rung it. She listened to it ring and heard the woman's recorded voice telling her to leave a message, she decided she'd make sure Cloud makes his own answer phone message. The phone beeped suddenly at her and she stared round the room trying to form a sentence. "Cloud, I hope you're alright and everything. I just need some help. I'm kind of in a bind and need rescuing, I want to leave Kenji, but I don't think I can do it alone. I guess you're probably too busy anyways. If you do ring me I won't be able to answer or anything, I've got to go to some club with Kenji tonight, so. Be careful."

* * *

He pushed open the double doors of the church and stepped through before closing them behind him. He sighed and pressed his back up against the doors. Cloud slowly wiped the rain from his face and ruffled his own hair to try removing any water. He opened his eyes and stared at his bike that was uncovered. He frowned to himself and stalked forwards.

The bed sheet he had used had been folded at the side and placed on one of the pews. Cloud dropped down besides his bike and closed his eyes. It was quiet, save for the pouring rain outside, it forced up memories he'd thought he'd long forgotten about Nibelheim and he smiled quietly to himself.

Cloud turned and stared at his bike, he reached for the bag that was behind it and smiled to himself. He was surprised everything was still here, he thought his things might have been rummaged through and stolen, he guessed he obviously had little faith in the street urchins here. He pulled out his phone and flipped it open he turned it on and watched as the screen flashed.

He ran his fingers through his hair and rubbed at his face, he frowned as he felt the leather of his glove catch on his stubble. He dropped his phone to the side and rummaged through his bag hoping for some reason he'd brought a razor. The blond grunted in defeat and returned to his phone he watched as his phone flashed with over ten missed calls and about three answer phone messages. He sighed to himself and listened to his first message.

It was Elena, telling him that there were Wutai Rebels in the area and that he should look out. Also the second was the same message from Elena.

But the last was from Tifa. He frowned when he heard her message, he could almost hear the pain in her voice, but it was bliss to hear her voice on the phone. He smiled his small smile like she was standing in front of him in the church.

This time he was determined to keep his promise with her.

* * *


	17. Chapter 17

**A/N: **My special thanks this update goes to... **MyfinalfantasyVII****, ****Sironblood1****, ****Stryper****, ****Kaarina Helvete**and**X-This War Is Ours-X****. **Also again to **Kaarina Helvete**for pointing that stupid mistake I did (P.S I think I messaged you and then I couldn't remember if I did and I didn't want to seem like an idiot and message you 2 times over the same thing, so if I didn't sorry!! XD ) But it has now been fixed.

Anyways, is this like two updates within a week? Wow, I've impressed myself! Also if you could read the small message at the bottom with the ideas of my next stories and give your suggestion it will be much appreciated!

* * *

The music echoed through the club. There wasn't a single place to escape the noise, not even outside. The lights flashed from green to blue to red and flared round the room. The dance floor was packed with teenagers, dancing with someone else to the loud repetitive music. The smell of alcohol was overpowering almost as strong as the smell of sweat. The club was packed, there was barely any space to move or escape the dance floor. The dance floor was in the centre of the club, while tables and booths were around it.

Tifa stared at a few of the teens dancing, she could easily pick out a few that were too young to be in here and shook her head in annoyance. She wouldn't be surprised if Yuffie came here a couple of times.

She turned to Kenji and watched him talk about absolutely anything with his friends, who she guessed were either investors to Shinra or worked for Shinra. All of them stuck out like a sore thumb.

She long lost interest in what they had been talking about and she found herself watching the dancers. She'd wondered for a minute, what her life might have been like if she wasn't involved with the whole mess of meteor. Would she have been the same as some of the girls dancing together? She wouldn't change it for the world. She mused, bringing a smile to her lips.

She had hoped Kenji had seen the pleading look in her eyes and said, 'maybe we should go home' but nothing of the sort came about.

The music suddenly changed to a loud booming tune and it made her wince. She wondered whether people really did appreciate her bar because if it was like this at every other bar and club, she would be grateful that there was somewhere like the Seventh Heaven. She felt another pang of loneliness hit her like a wave, even though she was in the most crowded place possible.

She actually hoped for some reason Yuffie might be here, and might pull her away onto the dance floor, to escape both the loneliness and being stuck with Kenji. But it was even stupid to think about something like that, it wouldn't happen.

At the thought she caught sight of some Wutains sitting at a booth in the corner. _Their night off. _She mused to herself while she watched them. They were nothing but teens, not that she could talk, both her and Cloud had been twenty one when they had taken on the wrath of Shinra and Sephiroth.

She looked away and stared back down at the table and smiled her fake smile to a few of Kenji's friends who were still locked into his conversation about whatever it was.

"Tifa." She jumped to the sound of her voice and looked to Kenji guessing it was him who spoke; she frowned at him and saw he was too busy staring above her.

The brunette twisted in her seat and stared at the man in front of her. He looked completely out of place in here and it brought a smile to her face. His blond hair seemed more wild than usual, he wasn't wearing his usual attire she assume it was too dirty. He had a plain black t-shirt on, one she could remember wearing herself once as well as a dark brown leather jacket she had told him to buy just so he wouldn't get soaked during his deliveries. His dark blue jeans seemed clean and there wasn't a single tear in them. She smiled, remembering again she had brought them for him. He scratched his face consciously and she stared at the blond stubble across his face. "Tifa." He repeated, holding out his hand to her. "Let's go." He mumbled.

She took his gloved hand and he pulled her to her feet in one swift motion, a strength she'd long forgotten. She stared into the shades he was wearing and could just make out the glowing mako eyes, she wanted to cry out and hold him tight, that he was alive and well.

"Tifa!" She turned back round; she'd forgotten for that blissful moment that Kenji was sat beside her. She looked away from Cloud and turned to the dark haired man. She felt Cloud's arm wrap round her and could feel his muscles twitching against her skin. "What are you doing?!" She watched Kenji rise to his feet and step towards them both. He stood taller than Cloud, but she guessed Cloud was no longer intimidated by height, after Sephiroth she couldn't imagine he could be.

"Don't you dare even speak to her." She was surprised at how stubborn his voice sounded, he was pointing threateningly at the man in front of him, like he might stab the man with his finger.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Kenji snapped, glaring down at the blond. She wanted to tell him to stop and drop it and not and try and agitate Cloud in any way or form. But she was already too late.

She'd watched Cloud strike the man across his face, it had happened so quick she had to check it had happened. She stared at Kenji who was lying on the floor clutching his face before turning to Cloud who was massaging his knuckles despite his leather gloves. Kenji clambered to his feet and turned to his friends behind him, Tifa wondered for a moment if he was looking for support and smiled slightly when all of his friends seemed happy enough to watch intently. She didn't need to look over her shoulder to see if any of the dancers had stopped dancing to watch them, she could hear their mumbling above the music.

Kenji swung his own fist back at Cloud who caught it with ease and she winced when she heard his knuckles crack. "If you even dare try and find her, I will hunt you down myself." She heard the blond whisper to the other man through gritted teeth. Watching Cloud know, she could easily believe Yuffie when she said Cloud was incredibly out of character

Tifa held back a laugh as she watched Kenji slowly nod while his eyes were shut tight. Cloud swiftly swung his knee into the man's stomach and she watched him drop down to his knees and clutch his stomach while wheezing. There was a loud gasp behind her and she turned to watch as most of the club had turned to watch the two men's 'confrontation' as fight didn't seem to fit. Cloud bent forward so he was level with the man and Tifa was about to tell him enough was enough. "I'm glad we reached an understanding." She saw a smirk fly across his face before it disappeared as quickly as it had come.

Cloud stood up straight and turned to Tifa, he pushed his shades further up his nose before turning once to the Wutains at the back who seemed more than comfortable to remain in their seats. "Shall we?" He muttered, running his fingers through his hair once and casting a glance to Kenji who was still on the floor. Cloud grabbed her hand and headed for the exit, she smiled as everyone quickly stepped aside for the blond man to get past.

Tifa breathed in the fresh, clean air and turned to watch the door close behind her. She finally let a laugh out and turned to Cloud who was as well staring at the door. "Thank you Cloud." She whispered, walking to him giving him and tight hug.

"You'll tell me if he comes back, won't you?" He asked quietly, slowly returning her hug. She nodded into his neck and heard the satisfied grunt to show he'd seen her. "Come on." He muttered, staring up into the sky and at the pouring rain. He shrugged his leather jacket off and wrapped it round her before slowly walking forwards. She muttered a small thanks and pulled it closer round her shoulders.

She let him lead her away to a small alley at the side and smiled at the sight of his bike. He quickly leapt on and she followed behind him, wrapping her arms round his chest and resting her head on his bike. She felt him shift uneasily as he started up his bike and begin to drive away from the wretched club.

Tifa smiled as she felt the wind whip at her face, a feeling she had sorely missed. She closed her eyes, allowing Cloud to take her wherever he wanted. The bike ground to a stop and he quickly slid off and she followed him. Tifa looked up and stared at her bar; she closed her eyes and refused to let joyful tears fall from her eyes. Cloud had already stormed in and she could hear him ordering everyone to get out.

She silently wished there were no customers inside and thankfully she saw none leave except some waitresses and waiters who cast a glance at Tifa before hurrying down the street in case the crazy blond man started chasing them down the street.

"There you go." He muttered. Tifa looked up at him and she let him force the keys to the bar into her hand. Tifa stared from him to the bar and then back again.

"You've had a bit of an aggressive night tonight, haven't you?" She smiled to hi, trying her best to make conversation. There was still an awkwardness hanging in the air, like a cloud hovering above them. She watched him shrug and grunt, purposely avoiding her gaze. They'd both apologized a few weeks back, surely everything should be okay by now, or so she believed. "Don't you want to come in?" She asked, now that he was here and in front of her she didn't want to lose him again. She watched him frown slightly and she laughed before grabbing his arm. "You have no choice, come on." She answered, sliding off his bike and pulling him into her bar.

Cloud closed the door behind him and watched Tifa stare round at her bar. "You can't believe how much I've missed this place." She said, running her hand along the marble bar top. She slowly closed her eyes and could imagine everything was back to normal, that the two kids were asleep upstairs and she'd been waiting for Cloud to arrive from his late night deliveries.

"I think I can." She heard him answer, she watched him stare round and saw the hint of nostalgia flicker across his face. He scratched his face subconsciously and she laughed when she heard the sound which reminded her of sanding her old stools down that now stood proud in her bar. He turned to her and raised an eyebrow in question.

"It makes you look older and more dangerous." She laughed walking forwards and scratching under his chin before her hand was batted away. "I like it." She pouted slightly. Cloud slowly pulled his shades off and she looked into his mako eyes. She saw the sign of confusion cross through them, before returning to their dull emotionless state. She frowned trying to work out what he could be confused about, was it the whole situation that the both of them were here together after so long?

"Even if you do, it's coming off." He replied, heading round the bar and disappearing upstairs.

Tifa stood silently, being able to hear him in the bathroom, she guessed he was rummaging for a razor or sorts. Tifa looked round the bar one final time and felt the feeling of loneliness finally disappear and felt peaceful and relaxed. She missed this feeling so much and felt indebted to Cloud for coming and rescuing her. She wasn't sure how long she'd been lost in her thoughts but Cloud had returned down the stairs clean shaven. "Well." He began, staring round the bar. "I should be going."

"Why?" Tifa cried quickly, he couldn't leave yet, there were so many things she had to ask. "Don't you want something to eat, or stay the night?" She asked. She watched him frown slightly and was obviously having a debate with himself mentally.

"Alright." He mumbled. Tifa nodded in appraisal.

She stood for a moment watching him; he shifted uneasily under her gaze. Everything that had happened to him been all her fault, he's done so much for her in one night after everything she put him through. She choked on a sob and saw Cloud jump from her sudden outburst. She backed away slowly before she was sure there was a seat behind her and collapsed down on it. "Everything, that's, happened, has, has been all, my, fault!" She cried in between sobs, sure that her voice had gone a higher pitch than it had started.

Cloud rushed forwards to the crying woman and paused unsure what to do next, feeling in the exact position as he had been with Elena. He pulled another stool besides Tifa and sat down besides her. He slowly lifted his arms round her and she twisted round quickly and flung her arms round his neck and cry even more into his shirt. He stared round awkwardly round the bar, thinking this was Barret or Yuffie's job they understood this type of thing much more than him.

"I don't blame you, Tifa." He whispered into her ear, slowly stroking her long dark hair, trying his best to comfort her. He heard her laugh sarcastically and he sighed loudly. He shuffled himself on his stool and frowned in concentration as he tried to think of what to say next. "But I don't, I have no reason too." He added.

He could hear Tifa regaining control and she slowly let go of him and held him at arm's length. Her dark eyes bored into his, like she was making sure he was telling the truth. "How can you?" She asked, unsure how he could find it that easy to forgive her.

Cloud attempted his best smile he could muster and watched as Tifa's face so light up. "Because, I don't blame you!" He cried, sighing at the end.

Tifa smiled at him, realising the annoyance starting to creep into his voice. She nodded at him and wiped the tears away with the back of her hand. "Do you, blame Yuffie?" She asked, remembering the girl's pained and worried voice on the other side of the phone earlier that day. Cloud turned to her and watched her face hoping she might say he doesn't have to answer the question. "She thinks you won't forgive her and maybe come and hunt her down or something." Tifa added watching Cloud's plain face.

He shook his head and brought his legs up onto the bar that held the stool together. He lent forward placing his elbows on his knees and his head in his hands. "I am angry." He muttered and Tifa nodded understanding how he must feel. But she wasn't sure if she could cope with having two close friends who might be at each other's throats for the rest of their lives. "But..." He continued catching Tifa's attention again. "I forgive her, I don't want her searching for forgiveness all her life, it's not somewhere you ever want to be and I don't want anyone to have to be in the same position I was in." He mumbled. Tifa placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder, unsure if he was speaking to himself for reassurance or was actually speaking to her.

Tifa had known Cloud would never let go of Aeris. She had often wondered if he had strong feelings for her and that was what had driven them apart. She knew as well he had found forgiveness but didn't doubt for a second there was a voice in the back of his mind reminding him of all his sins. "Aeris has forgiven you Cloud." She whispered quietly, but was sure he had heard it. He slowly turned and looked up at her and she saw the deep sorrow in his eyes. She offered him her best smile and he gave her a small distinct smile.

She wanted to question him over everything that had happened while he was in Wutai, but wasn't she if now was the best time anymore, she guessed he probably wanted to forget about that by now. But there was one nagging in the back of the mind that was stabbing at her brain like a knife. _That's a stupid question. _She thought to herself deciding it will have to remain there and she shall live with it wounding her mind.

"So, are you and Elena together?" She spurted out. She hit herself mentally and looked up at. He was glaring at her slightly and shook his head.

"Where did you get that idea from?!" He cried sharply, rising to his feet. She was sure she could see a smile across his face and his eyes narrowed in suspicion.

"Nowhere..." She mumbled turning away from him. She looked back up at him and saw he was staring out of the windows watching the rain. "Do you think he'll come back?" She heard him hum in question, still not turning to face her. "Kenji I mean."

He laughed a short and harsh laugh and all trace of his sudden outburst was wiped from his face. "If he has any sense he won't." He said. Tifa nodded in agreement and followed his gaze outside.

"What will you do now?" She asked him quietly, like there might be people trying to listen in to their conversation.

The blond finally turned round to face her and shrugged once more. "Have a shower." He muttered. Tifa sighed with annoyance and looked for something to throw at the blond.

"Are you this dense on purpose?!" She cried not being able to help but laugh at him. She watched his send his questioning glance to her again and she rolled her eyes in defeat. "_I mean, _what are you going to do now, as in tomorrow and the next day, with Shinra and everything?"

She saw his cheeks flush with embarrassment and he instantly looked away. "I guess, I'll go back to Wutai and, blow up that reactor." He said simply, like it was nothing more than going to their local shops.

"Isn't that dangerous?!" She cried staring up at him.

"When has anything I've done been safe?"

"Well, I'm going with you."

"Good one Teef."

"Why not?" She snapped again. He raised an eyebrow and looked her over before staring her back in her face. Tifa sighed in defeat and slumped back in her chair. She placed a hand protectively over her stomach and stared down at it. "I'm sure it'll be worth it eventually."

"You know, if you need help, I'm just a phone call away." He said, scratching the back of his head nervously. Tifa looked back up at him and watched his cheeks turn pink and his eyebrows furrow together.

"You're not going to be a shout up the stairs away then?" She smiled slyly. She'd want nothing more to know that her friend was just upstairs and if Kenji did decide to make an unexpected appearance he'd be there to throw him out. Tifa looked away from him and finally realised something. She couldn't keep Kenji away forever, this was his son or daughter inside of her, and she couldn't stop him from seeing his child. _We'll cross that bridge when it comes to it. _She thought to herself, deciding to push that thought to the corner of her mind. "I mean, I'll be needing help around the bar eventually. I could do with a pair of extra hands." She smiled up at him and watched him slowly nod in agreement.

"Alright, that's if you can deal with me for that long?" He asked and Tifa laughed in response. "Anyway, I have to get going Tifa, the longer I leave it, the longer it'll take."

"Surely one night won't matter?"

_

* * *

_

Right, if you've been insane enough to read my little **A/N **at the start of each chapter you'll know that I've already got the idea for my next story, three to be exact. So, I'm going to write the summaries(ish) here and I'd like to hear which one you'd like to read. It will be greatly appreciated as I love all three!

1.A kind of Psychological horror, based on Cloud. Who's mostly being haunted by his past and how it's affecting Tifa and the kids, it will lead to much more. But I can't really say much as it will wreck the story. I'm planning it on being maybe, 20 chapters plus, maybe about the same length as this one.

's a romance/adventure story. A kind of 'What If' story. It's basically that the Nibelheim incident never happened and Cloud did make it into Soldier. And Tifa finds herself missing the boy next door. And sets off to Midgar to start her own life, but mainly to find the blond boy she had known. I'm planning this to be quite a long story, I've already got it half planned out and it's like 20 chapters at the minute. This is the one I'm leaning to at the minute.

's based around Sephiroth and it's an AU. Set before FF7 but doesn't lead onto FF7 in anyway. Basically, Sephiroth finds out that Hojo is trying to create Sephiroth clones. He actually finds one and rescues it and finds himself growing towards his clone. There's obviously more to it that just that and it needs building upon but I've got the basic story line. It's not going to be a huge long story, maybe 15ish chapters.

So, like I've already said, I'd love to hear which one you'd like to read next, even if it's just a 1,2 or 3 it will be greatly appreciated!!

Thank You!!!


	18. Chapter 18

**A/N: **Special thanks goes to **Stryper****, ****Kaarina Helvete**and**MyfinalfantasyVII**for all reviewing on my last chapter!

So here it is, my **final** Chapter for this story, hope you enjoy it!

* * *

_Italics:- _past

* * *

The huge black bike threw dust up behind it as it raced across the planet, its speed far too fast to be deemed safe. It followed the dirt roads but would meet the brunt of any monsters in the area. The sun was low in the sky, ready to set any time soon. The east had already turned dark and a few stars were able to be seen through the breaking of clouds, while in the west back towards Edge the sky was a deep orange like shade.

He'd been driving since the morning, determined to get as far as he could until he would have to call for a rest. A feeling of nostalgia would run through his mind that he was rushing to return home to Tifa those few months ago and his brain would cry at him telling him he was going west, where he should be going east.

Cloud had thought about leaving Tifa's bar the moment her head had fell on the pillow and her breathing had turned to a slow and rhythmic pace. But he simply couldn't bring himself to do it. He had decided to wait till the morning, to let Tifa wave him off and so he could tell her he'd be coming back and he would take care of her.

He'd seen the doubtful look flicker across her dark eyes the moment he had spoken and he wanted nothing more to promise her that he will be there for her. Then decided against it, he had already broken his first promise to her far too many times and adding an extra one will just make it worse. He couldn't form any words or sentences to convince her he will be coming back, so simply left it as it was.

* * *

_The morning light shone through Tifa's curtains and hit her pale face, she winced against the bright light and twisted round in her bed. She opened her eyes once more and stared round at her own bedroom, for a moment she wondered how she's gotten here, but last night's events filled her mind and brought a smile to her lips._

_She turned on her back and stared up at the ceiling and sighed a sigh of relief. She felt like she could stay in her warm comfy bed the whole day but Cloud suddenly entered her mind and she threw the covers off of herself. She prayed he was still here; surely he wouldn't disappear straight away again. She reached for the door and threw it open. "Cloud?!" She cried, with too much urgency in her tone than she would have liked. Tifa raced down the wooden stairs and managed to stop herself before she collided into the bar. _

_Cloud had been sleeping she guessed in one of the booths and he was now sitting upright his fingers running through his hair. "Is everythin' alright?"H e mumbled, his eyes narrowed while he still adjusted to the sudden light._

_Tifa smiled at him, as slowly opened his eyes properly and stared at her. "Everything's fine." She smiled back. This was quite possibly the first time in a long time that Cloud was still here when she woke. She heard him grunt and Tifa held back a laugh. "Sorry for waking you." She replied, watching him reach for the black bag he had dumped in the corner of the room last night. She heard him say some inaudible, but guessed it was something like 'its okay'. _

"_I'm going to, get changed." He answered back heaving the bag up and heading up the stairs. Tifa watched him and wished she had told him she appreciated that he had stayed the night. As she heard the lock on the bathroom door click shut she headed back round into the kitchen, meaning to cook them both breakfast._

_The blond soon returned and Tifa turned to him. He was back dressed in his normal attire and his hair was a little more presentable, but she was sure he didn't really care. Tifa turned away and smirked as she noticed him watching her cook. "I should go." He mumbled again._

_Tifa turned to him and saw his eyes were fixed on her in a caring and sentimental way. She gave him her best smile, surprised how much emotion Cloud could let off in his eyes. She didn't want him to leave, but knew he was thinking of everything else he could be doing right at this very moment. "Okay." She cleaned her hands off and walked towards him before slowly kissing him on his cheek. "Thank you." She smiled again and watched his cheeks flush with colour. "Be careful."_

"_I will." He muttered, turning round and heading out of the bar. Tifa followed him round and lent against the door frame, watching him clean his bike's seat of any surplus water before slowing sitting back down. _

"_You know, you should get a helmet." She laughed and he simply shook his head and frowned._

"_I'll be back, as soon as I can." Tifa sighed at him, he used to always say that to her and then a few hours later he'd ring and say he wouldn't be coming home until the next day or late that night."I will be coming back Tifa, and I'll take care of you."_

'I'll believe it when I see it.' _She couldn't help but think. His lips twitched at the corners, his small attempt at a smile. _

_The engine of his bike roared to life and she took a step back. Cloud looked to her once more before heading off down the street and away from her once more. She placed a hand over her stomach protectively and watched the street Cloud had driven down. Would he come back? _

_Tifa looked up and down the street wondering if Kenji was sat out there watching her and waiting for Cloud to leave so he could run in, in a mad rage. She smirked at the thought, but nonetheless locked the door once she closed it._

_

* * *

_

The blond young man was staring out of the gigantic windows of the _Shera _and at the deep blue sea below them as they headed towards Wutai. Earlier Cloud had pulled his bike to a stop when he could hear his phone ringing and quickly reached for it wondering if it was Tifa, telling him that that idiot of a man had returned. He had stared at the screen and was a little disheartened when he read Vincent's name. Cloud had told the enigma of the man his plan that he was going to destroy the Mako reactor in Wutai and then see how things work out from there. Vincent had agreed with him and had said he'd go with him. Cloud had been sure he could hear the teenage ninja near Vincent obviously asking him who he was speaking to. The two had agreed to meet at the reactor, that Vincent himself would make sure there were no rebels about. And with another phone call later, Cloud had reached Cid explained the situation and the pilot had agreed to fly Cloud over to Wutai.

Of course this wasn't after having a lecture from Cid, telling him he should appreciate women much more, especially women who stood by him through everything. Cloud had wondered why Cid didn't simply say he shouldn't have left Tifa alone by herself all those months ago. He had also quickly explained he'd made it up with Tifa and she was no longer with that Kenji and back home.

He had received a grunt of recognition off of the blond pilot before they finally took off.

The world was speeding below him at an incredible fast rate like his life the last few months. That it had slipped from his fingers each time and had happened too fast for his mind to even to begin to comprehend. He could hear Cid talking behind him as he controlled his pride and joy, but it sounded nothing more than a lost voice in a large crowd. Would Tifa take him back? Would she let him live with her again? Would everyone accept him back into their lives?

Cloud massaged his temples, trying to rid of the headache that started a dull pain in the back of his mind. What was he thinking? He was out of his depth here, he was sure of it. He knew people would laugh at him for saying so, that not even Sephiroth was out of his depth any longer. But come to dealing with every day sort of things, he was definite he was out of his depth. In those five years he'd been trapped with Zack he was sure he'd missed out on too many things.

He felt his anger with Hojo rise, for stealing another thing away from him, something he's only just realised he's lost.

"Are you even listening to me?!" Cloud jumped at Cid's sudden loud voice right besides his ear. He turned and glared at the man for invading his thoughts. Cid jerked his head out of the window and Cloud spots the red cloaked man and besides him the young Wutain girl. She was looking up through the window and Cloud could see the slight hint of fear in her eyes, despite the way she held herself in a confident manner. "You're not pissed at her are you?"

Cid stared out the window and at the teen that stood besides the black haired man. "No." He heard Cloud say. The pilot couldn't help but laugh at the younger man besides him. Cloud watched him, he could hardly picture Cid standing up for the teen, and the two were forever arguing most of the time anyway.

"'Cause I'd be pissed if I was you." Cid smirked slapping a hand down on the other man's shoulder and heading out with Cloud behind him.

The heat struck the two men the moment they stepped out of the _Shera, _there was a strong gnawing wind that hit them across their bare flesh. Cloud rubbed at his bare arms wishing he'd wore a jacket to protect his pale arms from the sand and dirt that slashed at his skin. He followed Cid round to the front of the _Shera _to where Vincent and Yuffie both stood.

The mako reactor loomed behind them, the fence that surrounded the reactor was still broken and lay in pieces across the land. "There's no one around here." Vincent muttered, following Cloud's gaze. "Yuffie and I said we'd take care of it."

Cloud smirked at the pun, wondering if Vincent knew he had even said it. "Surely, they'll know you guys had a hand in this, right?" Cid asked, lighting up another cigarette as he spoke. Cloud watched him for a moment and saw the sigh of relief as he released a puff of smoke into the air that was quickly swept away into the wind.

"It won't matter." Vincent replied, tilting his head slightly to try and remove his long dark hair out of his eyes.

There was an incredible long awkward silence, Cloud could have been sure that Vincent had nudged the girl besides him to give her a reminder. "Okay, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have done what I did and all that stuff..." She mumbled out. Cloud smiled slightly at the teen as she turned her head away from him and tried to act like she was far more interested in the clouds that flew by in the sky above them. "So if you want to cleave me in half go for it." She shrugged turning to look at Vincent. "Not that you'll be able to anyways." She mumbled to herself, just loud enough for Cloud to be able to pick it up. He turned to Vincent and was sure there had been a faint smile on his face before it had been wiped away.

"I'm not angry at you." Cloud muttered. Yuffie twisted round and stared at him her mouth hanging open slightly as she watched him. "You were fighting for what you wanted." He shrugged and returned her gaze.

"Oh." She simply said and glanced to Vincent before turning back to Cloud. "So you're not going to drag me out to the middle of a desert and leave me there to die, or, throw me off the top of the building?" She asked quickly, her eyes narrowed as if she was trying to pick up any hint of Cloud lying. The blond didn't move and frowned at her.

"I'd stop now if I was you, kid." Cid muttered, speaking from one corner of his mouth. "Anyways, these guys have got a job to do right." Cid turned from Yuffie who fell silent. Vincent nodded in agreement and headed towards the reactor with Cloud behind him.

"You're going without me!" Yuffie cried jumping on the spot turning from Cid and to Vincent, who simply pointed at the _Shera _before heading forwards.

Cloud followed Vincent up the few stairs and to the main door that was still open. He glanced at the keypad on the side, remembering it was Tseng who had opened the door and left it open. He'd forgotten about the head of the Turks. It had been clear Elena had been deeply hurt over what Rufus had done and wondered if the blonde headed woman would continue to work for him.

It was still dark inside and Cloud barely noticed Vincent reach down and heave a bag onto his back. The dark haired man turned and checked Cloud was still behind him before heading down the rusted ladder. "You said you took Tifa home." Vincent said quickly. Cloud jumped off the final few steps and turned to Vincent. He nodded once before heading forwards, remembering the route with ease.

"I did." Cloud voiced, even though he had already answered the other man's question. He heard a grunt off of the man and continued walking. "I told her I'd take care of her, instead of running away." Cloud answered, giving a half-hearted laugh at the end. He still couldn't picture himself taking care of Tifa and racing round the bar for her. But he had made a promise and he was determined to stick to it and not run away this time.

"I suppose, you don't realise what you had, until you lose it, or so they say." Vincent murmured. Cloud watched the enigma of a man and nodded in agreement. He felt at ease to speak to Vincent somehow, he knew the man didn't judge him and wouldn't slam his head through a wall like Barret would probably do. He summed it down to that the both of them had suffered in similar ways during their lives and could relate to one another because of it. He wondered for a moment if Vincent felt the same when he was in Cloud's company.

"If I could turn back time, I would." Cloud replied. He walked through a set of doors and the eerie blue lights were still on, they were flickering occasionally casting the room into a second of darkness frequently.

"I will agree with that." Vincent answered, looking round the room and heading across the same bridge. The stench of mako pervaded through the air and the smell dried the back of Cloud's throat. The blond watched Vincent begin to set the bomb before turning to watch the entrance they had come through in case they had been followed once again.

Eventually Cloud could hear the clash of Vincent's metal boots against the metal floor and turned to the man who nodded and they both started out. "We have twenty minutes." Cloud nodded once more in agreement and followed the man back out.

The thought of Yuffie entered his mind suddenly like an unexpected stab in the stomach. "Is Yuffie okay?" He asked quietly, knowing Vincent won't have any privacy the moment they get out of the reactor.

"She is, I think she was expecting you to not to forgive her." He replied. Cloud didn't answer, after his conversation with Tifa he had expected the same.

"What of you and Tifa?" Vincent asked. Cloud turned to him, he was sure he'd never seen Vincent as talkative as before and frowned at him. Vincent turned to face him and was clearly waiting for an answer.

Cloud looked forwards and stared at the rusted ladder again and climbed up, he waited for Vincent at the top and the two headed out of the building. Cloud opened his mouth to answer but couldn't string a sentence together. He knew most of his friends had somewhat of expected himself and Tifa to end up being together and it had happened but now, they were just friends nothing more. He smiled, wondering if any of them had seen this coming as he certainly hadn't seen it.

"I don't think I'll be alright, living a normal life." Cloud began, spotting the _Shera _and followed Vincent towards it. The wind was still strong and began biting at his arms once more. "And I can accept that now." Cloud voiced. He was right; he knew he wouldn't be contempt with waiting behind a bar for the rest of his life after everything that has happened. But he would try and get used to it the best he could, for Tifa's sake. "Maybe if I didn't run out, everything would be okay now." Cloud thought aloud, not expecting an answer from Vincent.

Cloud had become fixed with watching his boots as he crossed the khaki coloured dirt underneath their feet, not wanting to hear Vincent's answer however helpful it would be. The two continued walking towards the _Shera _which had flown a safe distance away. They reached the ship and turned to face the reactor.

"I don't think you should resign yourself to that." Vincent murmured as they both stood quietly, watching the reactor for a moment as it stood quite still before the ground suddenly began shaking beneath their feet. Then all of a sudden a fume of fire escaped from the reactor and it collapsed inwards.

They both stared at the pile of rubble that now stood in its place and shielded their eyes as more dirt was thrown into the air and the wind thrust it towards them.

"I never thought everything would turn out this way." Cloud spoke aloud, glancing at the reactor once more before turning and heading towards the entrance to the _Shera. _

Vincent watched the blond and felt sympathy inside for him. He knew how it was to lose someone you loved and wanted to warn the blond to not to give in. But he decided against it, he was sure the younger man was far more capable now to stand on his own two feet. "Sometimes we're too late." Vincent spoke, loud enough that he knew Cloud would hear.

He watched the blond turn and shield his eyes against the sun as he stared at Vincent he saw Cloud's small smile and remembered Tifa telling him how much of a miracle it was to see him smile, then with a nod the mercenary headed back into the _Shera. _

* * *

There we are everyone my First proper story! I hope everyone enjoyed reading it, I know I did enjoy writing it.

Again, thanks to everyone who added it to their favourites, alerted or gave me a review, it really was appreciated and I'm sure everyone on this website will agree with me that it does encourage you to continue to write your own story.

Hopefully you will all keep a look out for my next story, I have the plot written out and just need to chapter it out everything and I'm hoping the first chapter will be out within the month!

Thanks again!

MirrorShine.


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